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C0PYT?IG-HT,1903.31T  THE    UfUVEESITYPRESS. 


/ 


THE    FOOTPRINT    ON    THE    SAND    STARTLES 
ROBINSON    CRUSOE 


/  was  exceedingly  surprised  with  the  print  of  a  man's 
naked  foot  on  th\>  shore 


1 


<c? 


*> 


Copyright,  ipoj,  by 
The   University  Press 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Introduction ix 

Author's  Preface   ........     v     ..     .    xxix 


The  Life  and  Adventures  of  Robinson  Crusoe    .     .        1 
The  Journal 77 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

LYRASIS  members  and  Sloan  Foundation 


http://www.archive.org/details/worksofdanieldef01defo 


INTRODUCTION 

NEARLY  all  the  work  of  Daniel  Defoe, 
even  the  earliest,  shows  that  narrative 
was  the  kind  of  writing  for  which  he 
was  fitted  by  nature.  Yet  Defoe  was 
more  than  a  good  story-teller.  He  was  also  a  moral- 
ist, an  essayist,  a  journalist,  an  enthusiastic  and  fairly 
shrewd  business  man,  a  patriot,  a  trusted  adviser  of 
a  king,  and  an  unscrupulous  political  spy.  Few 
readers  of  Robinson  Crusoe  realise  what  a  varied  and 
remarkable  life  was  that  of  its  author;  few  realise 
how  late  in  life  it  was  that  he  hit  on  the  kind  of 
writing  which  has  given  him  his  greatest  fame. 

Daniel  Defoe  was  born  in  the  parish  of  St.  Giles's, 
Cripplegate,  probably  in  1659,  though  the  date  is 
given  also  as  1660  and  1661.  His  father  was  a 
butcher  named  James  Foe,  a  Londoner ;  his  grand- 
father seems  to  have  been  a  Northamptonshire  yeo- 
man. The  family  were  dissenters,  the  same  sort  of 
plain,  religious,  conscientious  people  as  the  English 
colonists  of  the  time  in  New  England.  Defoe,  ac- 
cordingly, was  sent  to  a  Nonconformist  academy  at 
Newington  Green,  to  be  educated  for  the  dissenting 
ministry.  Though  he  did  not  fulfil  the  hopes  of  his 
friends  and  relatives  by  becoming  a  minister,  he  is 

[ix] 


INTRODUCTION 

said  to  have  got  a  fairly  good  education  at  the  acad- 
emy. Report  has  it  that  he  obtained  knowledge  of 
Latin,  Greek,  French,  Italian,  and  Spanish.  It 
should  be  remarked,  however,  as  Sir  Walter  Besant 
has  pointed  out,1  that  since  Defoe,  even  in  his  most 
serious  writings,  never  shows  signs  of  scholarship, 
it  is  questionable  whether  he  took  full  advan- 
tage of  his  opportunities  for  education.  Inci- 
dentally it  may  be  noted  that  the  principal  of  the 
academy  at  Newington  Green,  Charles  Morton,  sub- 
sequently migrated  to  New  England,  where  he 
became  a  minister  at  Charlestown  and  one  of  the 
Corporation  of  Harvard  College.  In  stock  and 
training,  then  (or  at  least  opportunities  for  train- 
ing), Defoe  must  have  been  like  the  better-edu- 
cated New  Englanders  of  his  day.  This  fact  may 
explain  why,  in  his  life  and  writings,  he  shows  more 
Yankee  characteristics  than  any  other  important 
Queen  Anne  writer.  Unfortunately  it  must  be  said 
that  they  are  too  often  characteristics  of  the  unscru- 
pulous, vulgar,  commercial  Yankee  of  nineteenth- 
century  literary  and  theatrical  convention. 

Commerce,  in  fact,  at  a  pretty  early  period, 
interested  Defoe  rather  than  the  ministry.  He 
seems  to  have  left  the  academy  at  Newington  to 
place  himself  in  the  establishment  of  a  hose-dealer, 
and  in  time  to  become  a  hose-factor  himself.  It  is 
possible  that  in  connection  with  his  business  he  made 
trips  to  Spain  and  Portugal.     Perhaps  Defoe  trav- 

1  A  Journal  of  the  Plague  Year,  Century  Classics,  New  York, 
1900,  p.  xv. 


INTRODUCTION 

elled  in  these  countries  when  Monmouth's  rebellion 
had  failed,  and  the  supporters  of  the  unfortunate 
duke,  among  whom  was  our  author,  had  taken  either 
to  flight  abroad  or  hiding  at  home.  However  this 
may  be,  about  two  years  after  the  rebellion,  Defoe 
was  established  in  business  near  London.  Too  much 
speculation,  apparently,  in  time  got  him  into  difficul- 
ties, and  by  1692  he  had  failed  and  was  obliged  to  flee 
from  his  creditors  to  Bristol.  Defoe's  subsequent 
conduct  in  regard  to  the  matter  was  honourable ; 
he  is  said  to  have  paid  his  creditors  conscien- 
tiously ;  but  his  behaviour  at  Bristol  was  not  pleasing. 
Though  danger  of  arrest  kept  him  in  his  house  every 
day  except  Sunday,  when  he  did  go  out,  he  was  al- 
ways elegantly,  if  not  ostentatiously,  dressed  —  so 
much  so,  that  he  became  famous  as  "  the  Sundav 
gentleman."  Here  we  have  an  early  instance  of 
Defoe's  want  of  fine  feeling  and  of  his  fondness  for 
show,  two  of  his     most  disagreeable  traits. 

When  Defoe  first  took  to  political  writing  is  uncer- 
tain. Probably  in  the  reign  of  James  II.,  possibly 
in  that  of  Charles  II.,  he  began  to  write  pamphlets 
of  the  kind  that  in  those  days  took  the  place  of 
the  leading  articles  of  our  journals.  After  the  Rev- 
olution of  1688,  his  pamphlets  became  more  fre- 
quent. In  1695,  in  reward  for  his  support  of  the 
government,  he  was  made  accountant  to  the  Com- 
missioners of  the  Glass  Duty  —  a  position  which  he 
retained  till  1699.  In  the  meantime  (in  1698)  the 
first  of  his  important  works  was  published,  the  Es- 
say upon  Projects,  a  work  which  seems  to  have  been 

[xi] 


INTRODUCTION 

written  several  years  earlier.  This  is  interesting  in 
many  ways.  It  contains  a  fairly  able  dissertation 
on  the  principles  of  trade ;  in  its  suggestions  for 
an  academy  to  govern  the  English  tongue,  for  the 
improvement  of  roads,  for  the  institution  of  an  acad- 
emy for  the  higher  education  of  women,  and  the 
like,  it  not  only  manifests  the  spirit  of  the  age  for 
organisation  and  reform,  but  frequently  shows  itself 
in  advance  of  the  age  ;  and  most  important  of  all,  in 
the  concrete  illustrations  drawn  from  homely  life, 
with  which  Defoe  makes  his  theoretical  discussion 
interesting,  the  essay  shows  the  power,  indispensable 
to  a  realistic  story-teller,  of  depicting  scenes  vividly. 
The  days  of  Defoe's  greatest  prosperity  were  now 
at  hand.  William  III.,  a  Dutchman,  was  thought 
by  many  Englishmen  to  have  the  interests  of  Hol- 
land more  at  heart  than  those  of  England.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  and  his  Dutch  friends  were  variously 
lampooned,  especially  in  a  pamphlet  in  verse  pub- 
lished on  the  first  of  August,  1700,  entitled  The 
Foreigners,  which  taxed  them  with  being  wholly  out 
of  sympathy  with  their  adopted  country.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  next  year  Defoe  answered  this 
pamphlet  vigorously  with  his  True-Born  Englishman 
in  doggerel  verse,  in  which  he  showed  satirically  that 
the  English  were  a  hybrid  race,  and  that  the  king, 
with  his  Dutch  blood,  had  as  good  a  right  to  call 
himself  English  as  Englishmen  of  mixed  Celtic, 
Danish,  and  Norman  blood.  The  people  took  the 
satire  good-naturedly.  It  raised  the  king  in  their 
estimation,  and  it  raised  Defoe  in  the  king's.     He 

[  x»  ] 


INTRODUCTION 

was  received  in  audience  by  William,  who  remained 
till  his  death  a  friend  to  Defoe. 

It  was  apparently  about  this  time,  or  a  year  or 
two  afterwards,  that  the  son  of  the  butcher  Foe  took 
to  writing  his  name  De  Foe  or  Defoe.  Some  biog- 
raphers have  thought  the  change  accidental  —  that 
De  Foe  was  originally  a  mistake  for  D.  Foe.  The 
best  opinion,  however,  is  that  Defoe  made  the  change 
intentionally  in  order  to  give  his  name  a  less  plebeian 
look.  A  desire  thus  to  conceal  the  humbleness  of  his 
origin  would  not  be  inconsistent  with  the  innate  vul- 
garity of  the  man. 

With  the  death  of  William  III.  in  March,  1702, 
Defoe^  most  prosperous  days  were  over ;  before  the 
year  was  out,  he  had  got  into  trouble  with  the  Tory 
House  of  Commons.  The  country  was  now  feeling 
a  Tory  reaction,  and  as  sentiment  against  the  Dis- 
senters grew  stronger  and  stronger,  Defoe  was  moved 
to  come  to  their  aid  with  his  ironical  pamphlet, 
The  Shortest  Way  with  the  Dissenters.  Strange  as 
it  may  seem  to-day,  this  was  taken  in  earnest,  and 
the  high  Tories  commended  it.  The  first  of  the 
pamphlet,  indeed,  might  be  mistaken  ;  for  the  fable 
of  the  cock  roosting  on  a  stable  floor  who  says 
to  the  horses,  "  Pray,  gentlefolks,  let  us  stand  still, 
for  fear  we  should  tread  upon  one  another,'"  was 
aimed  at  the  foolish  arrogance  of  some  Nonconform- 
ists. But  as  the  pamphlet  progresses,  the  propo- 
sitions become  so  extreme  that  it  seems  impossible, 
as  Defoe  wrote  later  in  A  Brief  Explanation  of  a 
Late  Pamphlet   entitled  The  Shortest   Way  with  the 

[  xiii  ] 


INTRODUCTION 

Dissenters,  "  to  imagine  it  should  pass  for  anything 
but  a  banter  upon  the  high-flying  churchmen." 

When  the  truth  was  discovered,  the  House  of 
Commons  was  shamed  into  declaring  a  slander  what 
many  high-churchmen  had  already  praised.  A  pros- 
ecution of  Defoe  was  begun.  The  pamphlet  was 
condemned  as  seditious,  and  its  author,  on  giving 
himself  up,  was  sentenced  to  pay  a  fine  of  two 
hundred  marks,  stand  three  times  in  the  pillory,  and 
then  go  to  prison  for  the  queen's  pleasure. 

Part  of  this  punishment  Defoe,  with  characteristic 
shrewdness,  converted  from  a  disgrace  into  a  triumph. 
Before  the  three  days  came  in  July,  1703,  when  he 
stood  in  the  pillory,  he  had  written  the  best  verse 
which  ever  came  from  his  pen,  his  Hymn  to  the 
Pillory.  In  lines  to  which  righteous  wrath  had 
given  some  real  dignity,  Defoe  denounced  his  ene- 
mies, some  of  whom,  he  declared,  ought  to  be  stand- 
ing where  he  then  stood.  Defoe  had  copies  of  the 
poem  circulated  among  the  crowd  which  came  to 
see  him.  The  combined  effect  of  these  and  the 
sympathy  which  the  masses  already  felt  for  him  was 
to  make  his  punishment  an  ovation.  Fruits  and 
flowers  were  presented  to  him  and  garlands  hung 
about  the  pillory. 

Once  in  Newgate,  however,  and  no  longer  stimu- 
lated by  the  popular  ovation,  Defoe  must  have  felt 
his  fortunes  at  a  very  low  ebb.  When  William  was 
still  king,  Defoe  had  become  the  proprietor  of  an 
establishment,  which  grew  to  be  very  successful,  for 
making  bricks  and  tiles,  near  Tilbury  in  Essex.    This 

[xiv] 


INTRODUCTION 

was  now  necessarily  closed.  And  so  Defoe  found 
himself  without  an  established  business  and  an  in- 
definite imprisonment  before  him. 

Even  in  this  desperate  situation,  he  turned  cir- 
cumstances to  his  advantage.  From  his  prison  he 
brought  out  several  pamphlets  urging  peace  and 
moderation  between  the  hostile  political  parties. 
He  wrote  a  graphic  account  of  the  famous  storm 
which  swept  England  in  November,  1703,  an  account 
which  must  be  partially  fiction,  for  Defoe,  shut  up 
in  Newgate,  could  have  had  little  experience  of  the 
actual  violence  of  the  tempest.  More  important  yet, 
he  started  in  February,  1704,  the  Weekly  Review  of 
the  Affairs  of  France,  which  lasted  until  1713.  It 
was  published  first  once,  then  twice,  and  finally  three 
times  a  week,  and  treated  of  both  foreign  and  domes- 
tic matters  which,  according  to  Defoe,  were  affected 
by  French  events.  An  important  part  of  the  paper 
was  the  Mercure  Scandale,  which,  with  its  discussion 
of  various  social  questions,  was  a  sort  of  forerunner  of 
the  Tatler,  and  Spectator,  and  their  many  successors. 

Better  times  were  now  coming  for  Defoe.  In  the 
spring  of  1704,  the  Whigs  and  moderate  Tories 
supplanted  the  extreme  Tories  in  power,  and  Harley 
became  important  in  the  government.  This  minister, 
who  interceded  for  Defoe's  release  in  April,  freed 
him,  it  would  seem,  in  May.1      From  now  on,  in 

1  The  date  of  Defoe's  release  has  commonly  been  given  as 
August.  Mr.  Thomas  Bateson  in  The  Relations  of  Defoe  and 
Harley,  English  Historical  Review,  xv.  (1900),  p.  240,  shows 
that  it  must  have  been  earlier. 

[xv] 


INTRODUCTION 

spite  of  difference  of   political  opinion,   Defoe   was 
Harley's  faithful  follower. 

For  the  next  fifteen  years,  politics  occupied  the 
most  important  position  in  Defoe's  life.  He  was 
employed  as  a  secret  agent  of  the  government  bv 
Harley,  and  also  by  the  Whig  ministers  after  Harley 
had  been  forced  to  give  up  his  office.  He  was  sent 
to  Scotland  to  help  make  arrangements  for  the  union 
of  that  kingdom  with  England ;  and  he  made  two 
subsequent  trips  to  the  same  place  on  matters  re- 
lating to  the  Union.  He  also  made  two  or  three 
trips  on  secret  government  business  through  the 
English  provinces.  As  Defoe  was  in  the  service  of 
ministers  on  both  sides,  it  made  little  difference  to 
him  which  party  was  in  power.  When  the  political 
changes  of  1710  brought  back  the  Tories  with  Harley 
at  their  head,  Defoe  served  them  as  well  as  he  had 
served  the  Whigs  in  the  years  immediately  preceding. 
In  fact,  though  an  apparently  sincere  Whig  on  the 
questions  of  civil  and  religious  liberty,  on  the  ques- 
tion of  the  French  War  he  stood  with  the  moder- 
ate Tories.  Like  Swift,  he  advocated  an  early  peace, 
though  he  did  not  approve  of  the  terms  finally 
agreed  upon. 

The  extreme  Tories  brought  about  the  downfall 
of  Defoe's  patron,  Harley,  in  July,  1714 ;  within 
three  weeks  the  queen  died,  and  George  I.  was  pro- 
claimed king.  On  this  accession  of  the  House  of 
Hanover,  it  was  once  supposed  that  Defoe's  political 
life  ended.  It  is  now  certain,  however,  that  he  con- 
tinued his  political  career,  though  in  an  underhand 

[xvi] 


INTRODUCTION 

way,  for  which  his  relations  with  Harley  had  well  fitted 
him.  He  became,  in  short,  a  Whig  spy.  After  the 
Jacobite  rising  of  1715,  the  Whig  ministers  induced 
Defoe  to  appear  as  a  Tory  writer,  in  order  to  get 
into  the  confidence  of  certain  Tory  editors  and  to 
temper  the  extreme  sentiments  of  their  papers.  The 
paper  with  which  Defoe  was  longest  connected  was 
Mist's  Journal,  a  weekly  publication,  whose  editor 
Defoe  deceived  for  years.  When  Mist  found  out 
the  true  state  of  affairs,  the  result  was  the  end  of 
Defoe's  political  career. 

Meanwhile  Defoe  had  not  given  over  his  non- 
political  interests.  In  1706  appeared  one  of  the 
most  vivid  bits  of  narrative  that  ever  came  from  his 
pen  —  the  Apparition  of  one  Mrs.  Veal  .  .  .  to  one 
Mrs.  Bargrave.  He  kept  his  hand  in  at  semi- 
fictitious  narrative  by  introducing  popular  illus- 
trations into  his  political  writings,  and  by  composing 
histories  of  contemporary  events  clothed  in  semi- 
fictitious  garb.  Such,  for  instance,  was  A  Short 
Narrative  of  the  Life  and  Death  of  John  Rhinholdt, 
Count  Patkul,  A  Nobleman  of  Livonia,  who  was 
broke  Alive  upon  the  Wheel  in  Great  Poland,  anno. 
1707 .  .  .  .  Written  by  the  Lutheran  Minister,  who 
assisted  him  in  his  last  Hours.  Faithfully  Translated 
Out  of  a  High  Dutch  Manuscript  .  .  .  By  L.  M.  This 
account,  which  purported  to  be  a  translation,  was 
probably  in  a  measure  Defoe's  invention.  It  was 
written  for  a  purpose,  namely,  by  recalling  an 
old  story  of  the  Swedish  king's  cruelty,  to  stir  up 
hostility    against    Sweden,     whose    ambassador     in 

[  xv"  ] 


INTRODUCTION 

London   had  turned  out  to  be  an  emissary  of  the 
Pretender. 

At  last,  when  Defoe  was  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
sixty,  he  took  to  the  kind  of  writing  which  makes 
him  famous  to-day.  The  wonder  is  not  so  much 
that  he  wrote  something  like  a  novel  then  as  that 
he  did  not  write  it  earlier,  for  his  whole  career,  we 
have  seen,  shows  an  ability  for  realistic  fiction.  His 
power  to  attain  persuasive  reality  is  apparent  in  the 
graphic  illustrations  of  his  essays  and  political  writ- 
ings, and  in  his  misunderstood  irony  of  The  Shortest 
Way  with  the  Dissenters,  no  less  than  in  his  early  bits 
of  narrative.  It  is  not  unnatural,  therefore,  that  he 
should  have  brought  out  a  long  narrative  on  April 
t  wen  t  y-fifth,  1719.  The  nam  e  of  this  was  The  Life  and 
Strange  Surprising  Adventures  of  Robinson  Crusoe, 
of  York)  Mariner.1  Defoe's  fame  as  a  story-teller  has 
been  assured  ever  since.  So  successful  was  this  first 
long  story  of  his  that  he  followed  it  up  in  August  of 
the  same  year  with  The  Farther  Adventures  of  Robin- 
son Crusoe,  which  in  turn  was  followed  a  year  later 
by  Serious  Reflections  during  the  Life  and  Surprising 
Adventures  of  Robinson  Crusoe.  With  his  Vision  of 
the  Angelic  World.  This,  a  good  sample  of  Defoe's 
dull  moralising,  needs  little  further  mention,  for  it 

1  The  full  title  was,  The  Life  and  Strange  Surprising  Adven- 
tures of  Robinson  Crusoe,  of  York,  Mariner  ;  who  lived  eight  and 
twenty  years  all  alone,  on  an  uninhabited  Island  on  the  coast  of 
America,  near  the  mouth  of  the  great  river  of  Oroonoque  ;  having 
been  cast  on  shore  by  shipwreck,  wherein  all  the  men  perished  but 
himself  With  an  Account  how  he  was  at  last  strangely  delivered 
by  Pirates.     Written  by  Himself 

[  xviii  ] 


INTRODUCTION 

is  not  by  his  moralising  that  Defoe  lives.  In  the 
meantime  he  had  published,  in  addition  to  other 
writings,  three  narratives,  or  so-called  "  novels,""  two 
of  them  of  considerable  length  —  a  number  which 
makes  it  probable  that  Defoe  had  partially  composed 
them  before  the  publication  of  the  first  part  of  Robin- 
son Crusoe.  For  the  rest  of  his  life  Defoe's  main 
work  was  writing  his  "  novels." 

There  is  some  mystery  about  the  last  days  of  De- 
foe. Though  fairly  well-to-do,  and  apparently  liv- 
ing in  comfort  and  happiness  with  his  wife  and 
children  at  Stoke  Newington,  he  fled  thence  for 
some  reason  —  perhaps  on  account  of  money  diffi- 
culties, perhaps  on  account  of  mental  derangement 
—  and  for  a  year  before  his  death,  he  lived  in  a  sort 
of  concealment.     He  died  in  April,  1731. 

Defoe  is  a  singular  character  among  our  men  of 
letters.  There  was  in  him  a  lack  of  fine  feeling,  an 
intrinsic  vulgarity,  manifest  as  well  in  his  political 
deceits  as  in  his  fondness  for  attracting  attention, 
and  in  his  attempt,  by  changing  his  name,  to  make 
his  family  out  better  than  it  was.  Professing  to  be 
a  moralist,  he  always  had  an  eye  for  the  main 
chance  ;  and  at  times  he  had  a  convenient  way  of 
suppressing  his  opinions  —  without  actually  chang- 
ing them  —  for  the  sake  of  money.  Were  he  alive 
to-day,  we  should  expect  him  to  be  either  a  very 
"  yellow  "  journalist  or  a  theatrical  or  circus  man- 
ager, unrivalled  for  sensational,  unscrupulous  ad- 
vertising. And  yet,  so  far  as  we  know,  Defoe  was 
an  upright  man  in  his  family  relations  ;  he  was  a 

[xix] 


INTRODUCTION 

man  of  indomitable  courage ;  and  in  politics,  if 
not  always  openly,  he  was  yet  consistently,  and  ap- 
parently conscientiously,  a  Whig,  at  a  time  when 
the  Whigs  saved  English  liberty,  and  when  political 
steadfastness  was  what  few  public  men  could  boast 
of.  Either  his  political  services  or  his  journalistic 
work  would  entitle  him  to  a  place  in  the  Dictionary 
of  National  Biography,  but  more  than  the  two  com- 
bined, his  prose  fiction  puts  him  there.  In  the 
history  of  our  literature,  he  is  important  chiefly  for 
his  influence  on  that  kind  of  writing  which,  within 
twenty  years  of  his  death,  was  to  come,  in  the  works 
of  Fielding,  as  near  perfection  as  it  has  ever  come. 

In  Robinson  Crusoe,  his  fhst  considerable  attempt 
at  fiction  to  be  published,  Defoe  cannot  be  said  to 
have  invented  a  new  kind  of  writing.  Like  most 
of  his  narratives,  this  belongs,  broadly  speaking,  to 
the  division  of  literature  known  as  the  "  picaresque 
novel,^  a  kind  of  fiction  which  arose  in  Spain  in  the 
sixteenth  century.  The  Lazarillo  de  Tormes,  the  first 
of  the  kind,  was  published  in  1553.  Written  in  the 
first  person,  as  if  autobiographical,  it  tells  how  its 
hero,  whom  we  see  first  a  poor  boy  of  eight,  passed 
through  various  adventures,  trusting  to  his  wits  to 
extricate  him  from  such  difficulties  as  he  got  into. 
The  Lazarillo  met  with  much  favour  both  at  home 
and  abroad;  before  the  century  was  out,  it  was 
translated  into  German,  French,  and  English.  Imi- 
tations followed,  all,  like  the  original,  dealing  with 
the  fortunes  of  clever  rogues  or  adventurers.  The 
most   important    of  these   in    England   before   the 

[XX] 


INTRODUCTION 

eighteenth  century  was  The  English  Rogue,  by 
Richard  Head  and  Francis  Kirkman,  which  came 
out  in  four  parts  during  Defoe's  boyhood.1 

What  Defoe  did  in  Robinson  Crusoe  that  was  new 
in  picaresque  novels  was  to  send  his  hero  to  a  desert 
island  in  the  tropics,  thus  setting  a  fashion  for 
"  desert-island  "  tales  that  has  lasted  to  our  own 
day.  For  this  novelty  he  was  doubtless  indebted  to 
the  story  of  Alexander  Selcraig  (or  Selkirk,  as  he 
has  been  more  often  called),  a  Scotchman,  who  spent 
four  years  and  four  months  alone  on  the  island  of 
Juan  Fernandez  off  the  coast  of  Chile.  This  Sel- 
craig, who  was  making  a  voyage  round  the  world 
with  Captain  Dampier,  as  sailing-master  of  one  of 
his  two  ships,  the  Cinque  Ports,  chose  to  stay  on 
the  island  rather  than  continue  with  the  captain 
of  his  ship,  a  certain  Stradling,  with  whom  he  had 
quarrelled.  From  the  solitary  life  which  ensued 
Selcraig  was  rescued  in  February,  1709,  by  Captain 
Woodes  Rogers  in  command  of  the  Duke,  a  ship 
fitted  out  at  Bristol  for  an  expedition  against  the 
French  and  Spanish.  Rogers  published  an  account 
of  his  travels  in  1712,  in  which  he  tells  the  story  of 
Selcraig.  In  The  Englishman  in  December,  1713,2 
Steele,  who  had  interviewed  the  desert-islander,  pub- 
lished another  account  of  his  adventures.  And  so 
it  will  be  seen  that  Defoe  had  good  opportunity  to 
become  acquainted  with  the  story  of  Selcraig. 

1  1665,  1668,  and  two  parts  in  1671. 

2  Both  Rogers's  account  and  Steele's  are  published  in  the 
appendix  to  the  third  volume  of  this  edition. 

[xxi  ] 


INTRODUCTION 

As  a  result  of  Defoe's  acquaintance  with  this 
story,  we  have  in  the  first  part  of  Robinson  Crusoe 
what  is,  with  one  exception,  the  most  artistic  long 
narrative  from  his  pen.  Here  is  an  apparent  unity, 
rare  alike  in  Defoe's  other  stories  and  in  most  picar- 
esque tales  of  adventure.  The  reason  is  that  once 
the  hero  reaches  his  desert  island,  his  adventures 
are  of  necessity  limited  ;  all  that  happens  now  bears 
on  one  question  —  how  is  he  going  to  support  him- 
self without  human  aid?  From  this  all-important 
question  we  never  get  away.  Moreover,  as  a  soli- 
tary on  a  desert  island  would  naturally  find  in- 
terest in  the  most  trivial  details,  Defoe's  enumeration 
of  unimportant  incidents  does  not  become  tedious 
or  exaggerated,  as  it  too  often  does  in  his  other 
works.  It  seems  only  natural  and  proper ;  it  adds 
to  the  probability  of  the  story.- 

From  the  nature  of  its  subject,  Robinson  Crusoe 
derives  something  more  than  a  kind  of  artistic  unity. 
When  Crusoe,  in  his  Farther  Adventures,  speaks  of 
"  the  life  I  lived  in  my  kingdom,  the  island,  where  I 
suffered  no  more  corn  to  grow  because  I  did  not  want 
it ;  and  bred  no  more  goats,  because  I  had  no  more 
use  for  them  ;  where  the  money  lay  in  the  drawer 
till  it  grew  mouldy,  and  had  scarce  the  favour  to  be 
looked  upon  in  twenty  years"  —  when  Crusoe  speaks 
thus,  he  touches  on  a  kind  of  life  which,  however 
impossible,  has  always  had  some  charm  for  civilisa- 
tion-wearied man.  This  charm  and  the  skill  of  the 
story-teller  together  produce  that  deep  interest  in 
the  first  part  of  Robinson  Crusoe  which  seems  likely  to 

[  xxii  ] 


INTRODUCTION 

last  as  long  as  the  English  tongue.  It  is,  to  a  large 
extent,  this  interest  in  his  island  adventures  which 
makes  us  glad  to  follow  Crusoe  in  his  Farther  Ad- 
ventures (published  only  four  months  later)  through 
China,  Siberia,  and  Russia.  But  with  all  our  pre- 
possession in  his  favour,  we  find  it  hard  to  keep  up 
our  interest  when  we  come  to  his  Serious  Reflections. 
It  matters  not  that  this  gives  us  some  information 
about  the  author's  personal  history,  as  in  his  declar- 
ing—  probably  untruthfully  —  that  the  Adventures 
of  Robinson  Crusoe  was  meant  for  an  allegorical 
history  of  his  own  life.  The  Serious  Reflections 
.  .  .  of  Robinson  Crusoe.  With  his  Vision  of  the 
Angelic   World  is  exceedingly  hard  reading. 

Even  the  charm  of  the  peaceful  island  life  and 
the  unity  of  the  narrative  would  not  sustain  our 
interest  in  the  first  part  of  Robinson  Crusoe,  were  it 
not  for  the  intense  reality  of  its  scenes  —  a  reality 
characteristic  of  Defoe's  work.  Similar  reality  is 
apparent  in  the  Farther  Adventures  of  Robinson 
Crusoe,  and  at  least  to  some  extent  in  every  bit  of 
fiction  which  Defoe  ever  wrote.  The  secret  of  it  is 
that  Defoe  had  an  unbounded  imagination  for  fact. 
It  is  not  enough  that  Defoe  tells  us  that  Crusoe 
stripped  to  shirt,  drawers,  and  shoes,  the  second 
time  he  swam  out  to  the  wreck.  No,  he  says  that 
Crusoe  had  "  nothing  on  but  a  chequered  shirt  and 
a  pair  of  linen  drawers,  and  a  pair  of  pumps.1'  And 
so  Defoe  almost  always  goes  into  minute  details, 
adding  one  little  fact  to  another,  till  a  reader  feels 
that  the  man  must  be  telling  what  he  has  seen  him- 

[  xxiii  ] 


INTRODUCTION 

self.  He  even  goes  beyond  minutiae.  Whether  as 
a  finished  artist,  or  as  a  hasty  writer  who  allowed 
himself  no  time  for  excision,  Defoe  is  a  past  master 
at  giving  unnecessary  detail. 

Moreover,  Defoe  was  such  a  careful  student  of 
geography,  he  was  so  well  read  in  books  of  travel, 
that  he  has  seldom  made  mistakes  in  his  geographical 
facts.  Now  and  then  he  makes  a  slip,  but  for  the 
most  part,  he  writes  of  the  Barbary  States,  North 
America,  South  America,  Madagascar,  the  East 
Indies,  the  South  Seas,  China,  or  Siberia,  as  if  he 
had  visited  the  regions  he  describes.  His  interest 
in  such  distant  regions,  and  in  the  connection  of  his 
country  with  them,  marks  him  as  one  of  the  earli- 
est "  imperialists  "  of  the  English  race. 

Marvellous  reality  of  scene,  a  verisimilitude  in  de- 
tached incidents  unsurpassed  and  almost  unequalled 
in  English  fiction,  is  not  the  only  product  of  Defoe's 
imagination  for  fact.  Because  his  imagination  so 
seldom  goes  beyond  fact,  he  has  seldom  succeeded 
in  imparting  reality  to  a  story  as  a  whole.  While 
we  read,  wre  accept  as  real  each  particular  event,  but 
when  we  come  to  the  end  of  the  book,  we  do  not 
feel  that  we  have  had  a  bit  of  real  life.  The  reason 
is  that,  to  the  majority  of  people,  fact  is  not  the 
whole  of  life.  Most  of  us  are  more  emotional 
than  Defoe  or  the  creatures  of  his  fiction.  Most 
of  us,  for  example,  would  have  felt  more  romantic 
despair  than  Crusoe  at  his  loneliness  ;  had  we  been 
in  his  place,  we  should  have  felt  oftener  such 
piercing  sorrow  as  came  over  him  when  he  found 

[  xxiv  ] 


INTRODUCTION 

that  no  one  was  saved  from  the  wrecked  Spanish 
ship. 

Because  Crusoe  had  so  little  emotion,  is  one  reason 
that  he  is  not  individual.  He  is,  as  critics  have 
been  pleased  to  remark  again  and  again,  just  a  typi- 
cal, common-sense,  practical,  English  colonist,  who 
sets  to  work  with  all  his  ability  to  make  the  most  he 
can  out  of  existing  conditions.  As  such,  he  is  true 
to  life  so  far  as  the  representative  of  a  type  can  be, 
but  the  representative  of  a  type  is  not  an  individual 
human  being.  Defoe  had  not  the  kind  of  imagina- 
tion which  would  give  his  characters  individuality. 
He  tried  hard  to  do  so,  and  in  some  instances,  no 
doubt,  prided  himself  on  his  character-drawing.  I 
am  inclined  to  think  that  he  felt  he  had  succeeded 
in  individualising  Friday,  and  William,  the  Quaker, 
in  Captain  Singleton,  and  several  others  of  his  per- 
sonages ;  but  to  me  they  are  all  wooden.  The  least 
so  are  two  of  his  women,  Moll  Flanders  and  Roxana, 
but  even  they  are  far  from  thoroughly  vitalised. 
Though  Defoe  could  give  perfect  reality  to  inci- 
dents, he  could  not  impart  life  to  his  characters. 
Not  even  the  best  known  of  them,  Robinson  Crusoe 
himself,  ever  "  walks  out  of  the  page  "  (if  I  may  use 
this  overworked  expression)  as  do  Fielding's  char- 
acters and  a   good  many  of  Smollett's. 

It  is  partly  on  account  of  Defoe's  inability  to 
make  his  characters  real  that  some  critics  have  been 
unwilling  to  call  his  stories  novels.  There  is  another 
reason  why  we  should  refuse  this  name  to  them. 
As  I  have  tried  to  point  out  in  the  introductions 

[  xxv  ] 


INTRODUCTION 

to  Fielding's  works,  by  a  novel  we  commonly 
understand  to-day  a  book  that  one  reads  not  only 
for  the  persuasive  reality  of  its  scenes  and  char- 
acters, but  also  for  its  plot.  Not  every  novel  by 
any  means  has  real  characters,  real  scenes,  and  a 
good  plot ;  but  in  the  best  novels,  you  will  find 
these  three  elements  happily  united.  The  only  one 
of  them  which  we  see  distinctly  in  Defoe's  works  is 
reality  of  scene.  There  is  no  more  plot,  there  are 
no  more  living  persons  in  his  stories,  than  there  are 
in  most  mediaeval  romances,  in  which  the  story- 
teller made  conventional  knights  and  ladies  go 
through  adventures  that  he  terminated  summarily 
or  continued  indefinitely,  as  he  saw  fit.  It  is  chiefly 
in  the  fact  that  their  incidents  are  possible,  and 
that  their  characters  are  seen  in  the  garish  light 
of  humble  realism  and  not  in  a  knightly  mediaeval 
glamour,  that  the  stories  of  Defoe  (and  indeed 
picaresque  stories  in  general)  differ  from  the  ro- 
mances of  the  Round  Table.  Robinson  Crusoe  and 
Colonel  Jacque  are  no  more  organic  than  the  mediae- 
val Merlin  or  Sir  Lancelot  du  Lake ;  nor  have  they 
more  vivified  characters.  They  are  not  novels  in 
the  sense  that  Tom  Jones  and  Humphry  Clinker  are 
novels.  Professor  Minto  is  right  in  declaring  that 
Defoe's  narratives  are  not  realistic  novels  but  real- 
istic   biographies.1 

It  by  no  means  follows  from  this  that  Defoe's 
narratives  are  not  interesting.  From  the  beginning 
of  literature,  men  have  liked  to  read  about  the  ad- 

1  Daniel  Defoe,  London,  1879,  p.  137. 
[  XX vi  ] 


INTRODUCTION 

ventures  of  other  men.  We  like  to  read  of  them  as 
befalling  either  in  the  civilised  society  with  which 
we  are  familiar,  or  (even  as  our  mediaeval  ancestors 
in  the  days  of  Marco  Polo)  in  distant  lands  which 
few  white  people  have  seen.  There  is  no  reason  to 
suppose  that  this  fondness  for  reading  of  adventure 
is  not  a  permanent  attribute  of  the  human  race. 
Now  in  Defoe's  stories,  adventures  follow  one  another 
with  that  quick  movement  which  has  always  been 
characteristic  of  the  best  narrative.  Till  human 
nature  changes,  therefore,  Defoe's  narratives,  plotless 
and  mostly  characterless  though  they  be,  are  likely 
to  possess  interest  for  readers. 

Defoe's  stories  have  yet  another  permanent  claim 
to  interest  in  being  the  first  good  examples  in  Eng- 
lish of  the  picaresque  novel,  whose  history  I  have 
already  sketched  in  this  introduction.  In  the  eigh- 
teenth century,  before  Fielding  showed  that  the 
English  novel  was  a  literary  form  unsurpassed  for 
picturing  actual  life,  there  had  been  two  different 
promises  of  what  the  novel  might  be.  On  the  one 
hand,  there  were  the  sketches  of  "  polite  "  society 
which  Addison  and  Steele  had  made  in  various 
numbers  of  their  periodicals,  especially  in  the  Sir 
Roger  de  Coverley  papers  —  sketches  which  peopled 
drawing-rooms,  clubs,  and  country-houses  with  real 
personages.  Had  the  incidents  which  these  early 
essayists  related  been  connected  by  a  plot,  we  should 
have  had  our  first  English  novel  a  good  thirty  years 
before  Joseph  Andrews.  The  other  early  eighteenth- 
century  promise  for  the  English  novel  is  found  in 

[  xxvii  ] 


INTRODUCTION 

the  picaresque  stories  of  Defoe  with  their  humble, 
vulgar  realism.  What  the  development  of  the  Eng- 
lish novel  would  have  been  without  the  picaresque 
element,  it  is  impossible  to  say.  Perhaps  it  would 
have  been  charged  with  the  forced,  hot-house  atmos- 
phere which  we  breathe  in  Richardson's  didactic- 
novels  ;  we  should  hardly  have  got  the  stronger  air 
—  sometimes  sweet  with  country  freshness,  again, 
heavy  with  tobacco  smoke  and  the  fumes  of  punch, 
or  reeking  with  kitchen  and  stable  odours — which 
Fielding  makes  us  inhale.  For  Fielding,  in  his 
novels,  followed  the  growing  tendency  of  fiction, 
already  apparent  in  Defoe,  to  picture  even  the  lowest 
phases  of  humanity  as  truthfully  as  possible.  In 
doing  so  he  but  set  the  example  for  all  his  great 
successors.  Not  all,  indeed,  have  a  picaresque  ele- 
ment in  their  work,  but  all  have  made  at  least  some 
slight  attempt  to  introduce  humble  realism.  It  is 
because  Defoe  was  the  great  pioneer  in  this  that  he 
is  important  in  our  literary  history.  And  because 
Robinson  Crusoe  was  the  first  of  his  long  pieces  of 
fiction  —  because,  thanks  to  the  success  of  this,  Defoe 
was  encouraged  to  give  to  the  world  others  more 
in  the  line  of  development  of  the  English  novel  — 
for  these  reasons,  apart  from  its  intrinsic  interest, 
Robinson   Crusoe  holds   an   important  place   in   the 

history  of  our  literature. 

G.  H.  Maynadier. 


[xxviii  ] 


AUTHOR'S    PREFACE 

IF  ever  the  story  of  any  private  man's   adven- 
tures in  the  world  were  worth  making  public, 
and  were  acceptable  when  published,  the  Edi- 
tor of  this  account  thinks  this  will  be  so. 
The  wonders  of  this  man's  life  exceed  all  that  (he 
thinks)  is  to  be  found  extant ;  the  life  of  one  man 
being  scarce  capable  of  a  greater  variety. 

The  story  is  told  with  modesty,  with  seriousness, 
and  with  a  religious  application  of  events  to  the 
uses  to  which  wise  men  always  apply  them,  viz.,  to 
the  instruction  of  others  by  this  example,  and  to 
justify  and  honour  the  wisdom  of  Providence  in  all 
the  variety  of  our  circumstances,  let  them  happen 
how  they  will. 

The  Editor  believes  the  thing  to  be  a  just  history 
of  fact ;  neither  is  there  any  appearance  of  fiction  in 
it ;  and,  however,  thinks,  because  all  such  things  are 
despatched,1  that  the  improvement  of  it,  as  well  to 
the  diversion  as  to  the  instruction  of  the  reader,  will 
be  the  same.  And  as  such,  he  thinks,  without 
farther  compliment  to  the  world,  he  does  them  a 
great  service  in  the  publication. 

1  This  word  has  been  altered  in  some  of  the  reprints  to  "  dis- 
puted. "  The  sentence  is  awkward,  but  the  meaning  appears  to 
be  that  the  writer  is  of  opinion  that  stories  are  thrown  aside  so 
quickly,  that  the  effect  produced  by  them  (the  improvement)  is 
the  same,  whether  they  are  true  histories  or  romances. 

[  xxix  ] 


THE  LIFE  and  ADVENTURES 

^ROBINSON  CRUSOE 


I  WAS  born  in  the  year  1632,  in  the  city  of 
York,  of  a  good  family,  though  not  of 
that  country,  my  father  being  a  foreigner 
of  Bremen,  who  settled  first  at  Hull.  He 
got  a  good  estate  by  merchandise,  and  leav- 
ing off  his  trade,  lived  afterward  at  York,  from 
whence  he  had  married  my  mother,  whose  relations 
were  named  Robinson,  a  very  good  family  in  that 
country,  and  from  whom  I  was  called  Robinson 
Kreutznaer ;  but  by  the  usual  corruption  of  words 
in  England  we  are  now  called,  nay,  we  call  our- 
selves, and  write  our  name,  Crusoe,  and  so  my 
companions  always  called  me. 

I  had  two  elder  brothers,  one  of  which  was  lieu- 
tenant-colonel to  an  English  regiment  of  foot 
in  Flanders,  formerly  commanded  by  the  famous 
Colonel  Lockhart,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle 
near  Dunkirk  against  the  Spaniards  ;  what  became 
of  my  second  brother  I  never  knew,  any  more 
than  my  father  and  mother  did  know  what  was 
become  of  me. 

Being  the  third  son  of  the  family,  and  not  bred  to 
any  trade,  my  head  began  to  be  filled  very  early  with 
rambling  thoughts.  My  father,  who  was  very  ancient, 
had  given  me  a  competent  share  of  learning,  as  far 
as  house-education  and  a  country  free  school  gener- 
ally goes,  and  designed  me  for  the  law ;  but  I  would 
be  satisfied  with  nothing   but  going  to  sea ;  and  my 

i  [i] 


VOL.    I. 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

inclination  to  this  led  me  so  strongly  against  the 
will,  nay,  the  commands,  of  my  father,  and  against 
all  the  entreaties  and  persuasions  of  my  mother  and 
other  friends,  that  there  seemed  to  be  something 
fatal  in  that  propension  of  nature  tending  directly  to 
the  life  of  misery  which  was  to  befall  me. 

My  father,  a  wise  and  grave  man,  gave  me  serious 
and  excellent  counsel  against  what  he  foresaw  was 
my  design.  He  called  me  one  morning  into  his 
chamber,  where  he  was  confined  by  the  gout,  and 
expostulated  very  warmly  with  me  upon  this  subject. 
He  asked  me  what  reasons  more  than  a  mere  wan- 
dering inclination  I  had  for  leaving  my  fathers  house 
and  my  native  country,  where  I  might  be  well  intro- 
duced, and  had  a  prospect  of  raising  my  fortunes 
by  application  and  industry,  with  a  life  of  ease  and 
pleasure.  He  told  me  it  was  for  men  of  desperate 
fortunes  on  one  hand,  or  of  aspiring,  superior  for- 
tunes on  the  other,  who  went  abroad  upon  adven- 
tures, to  rise  by  enterprise,  and  make  themselves 
famous  in  undertakings  of  a  nature  out  of  the 
common  road ;  that  these  things  were  all  either  too 
far  above  me,  or  too  far  below  me ;  that  mine  was 
the  middle  state,  or  what  might  be  called  the  upper 
station  of  low  life,  which  he  had  found  by  long  ex- 
perience was  the  best  state  in  the  world,  the  most 
suited  to  human  happiness,  not  exposed  to  the 
miseries  and  hardships,  the  labour  and  sufferings, 
of  the  mechanic  part  of  mankind,  and  not  embar- 
rassed with  the  pride,  luxury,  ambition,  and  envy 
of  the  upper  part  of  mankind.  He  told  me  I  might 
judge  of  the  happiness  of  this  state  by  this  one 
thing,  viz.,  that  this  was  the  state  of  life  which  all 
other  people  envied ;  that  kings  have  frequently 
lamented  the  miserable  consequences  of  being  born 
to  great  things,  and  wished  they  had  been  placed 
in  the  middle  of  the  two  extremes,  between  the  mean 

[2] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  the  great  ;  that  the  wise  man  gave  his  testimony 
to  this  as  the  just  standard  of  true  felicity,  when  he 
prayed  to  have  neither  poverty  or  riches. 

He  bid  me  observe  it,  and  I  should  always  find, 
that  the  calamities  of  life  were  shared  among  the 
upper  and  lower  part  of  mankind;  but  that  the 
middle  station  had  the  fewest  disasters,  and  was  not 
exposed  to  so  many  vicissitudes  as  the  higher  or 
lower  part  of  mankind.  Nay,  they  were  not  sub- 
jected to  so  many  distempers  and  uneasinesses  either 
of  body  or  mind  as  those  were  who,  by  vicious  liv- 
ing, luxury,  and  extravagancies  on  one  hand,  or  by 
hard  labour,  want  of  necessaries,  and  mean  or  insuf- 
ficient diet  on  the  other  hand,  bring  distempers 
upon  themselves  by  the  natural  consequences  of 
their  way  of  living ;  that  the  middle  station  of  life 
was  calculated  for  all  kind  of  virtues  and  all  kind 
of  enjoyments ;  that  peace  and  plenty  were  the 
handmaids  of  a  middle  fortune;  that  temperance, 
moderation,  quietness,  health,  society,  all  agreeable 
diversions,  and  all  desirable  pleasures,  were  the  bless- 
ings attending  the  middle  station  of  life ;  that  this 
way  men  went  silently  and  smoothly  through  the 
world,  and  comfortably  out  of  it,  not  embarrassed 
with  the  labours  of  the  hands  or  of  the  head,  not 
sold  to  the  life  of  slavery  for  daily  bread,  or  harassed 
with  perplexed  circumstances,  which  rob  the  soul 
of  peace,  and  the  body  of  rest ;  not  enraged  with 
the  passion  of  envy,  or  secret  burning  lust  of 
ambition  for  great  things ;  but  in  easy  circumstances 
sliding  gently  through  the  world,  and  sensibly  tast- 
ing the  sweets  of  living,  without  the  bitter,  feeling 
that  they  are  happy,  and  learning  by  every  day's 
experience  to  know  it  more  sensibly. 

After  this,  he  pressed  me  earnestly,  and  in  the 
most  affectionate  manner,  not  to  play  the  young 
man,  not  to  precipitate  myself  into  miseries  which 

[3] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

Nature  and  the  station  of  life  I  was  born  in  seemed 
to  have  provided  against ;  that  I  was  under  no  neces- 
sity of  seeking  my  bread  ;  that  he  would  do  well  for 
me,  and  endeavour  to  enter  me  fairly  into  the  station 
of  life  which  he  had  been  just  recommending  to  me  ; 
and  that  if  I  was  not  very  easy  and  happy  in  the 
world  it  must  be  my  mere  fate  or  fault  that  must 
hinder  it,  and  that  he  should  have  nothing  to  answer 
for,  having  thus  discharged  his  duty  in  warning  me 
against  measures  which  he  knew  would  be  to  mv 
hurt ;  in  a  word,  that  as  he  would  do  very  kind 
things  for  me  if  I  would  stay  and  settle  at  home  as 
he  directed,  so  he  would  not  have  so  much  hand  in 
my  misfortunes,  as  to  give  me  any  encouragement  to 
go  away.  And  to  close  all,  he  told  me  I  had  mv 
elder  brother  for  an  example,  to  whom  he  had  used 
the  same  earnest  persuasions  to  keep  him  from 
going  into  the  Low  Country  wars,  but  could  not 
prevail,  his  young  desires  prompting  him  to  run 
into  the  army,  where  he  was  killed ;  and  though  he 
said  he  would  not  cease  to  pray  for  me,  yet  he  would 
venture  to  say  to  me,  that  if  I  did  take  this  foolish 
step,  God  would  not  bless  me,  and  I  would  have 
leisure  hereafter  to  reflect  upon  having  neglected 
his  counsel  when  there  might  be  none  to  assist  in 
my  recovery. 

I  observed  in  this  last  part  of  his  discourse,  which 
was  truly  prophetic,  though  I  suppose  my  father  did 
not  know  it  to  be  so  himself — I  say,  I  observed  the 
tears  run  down  his  face  very  plentifully,  and  espe- 
cially when  he  spoke  of  my  brother  who  was  killed ; 
and  that  when  he  spoke  of  my  having  leisure  to 
repent,  and  none  to  assist  me,  he  was  so  moved,  that 
he  broke  off  the  discourse,  and  told  me,  his  heart 
was  so  full  he  could  say  no  more  to  me. 

I  was  sincerely  affected  with  this  discourse,  as 
indeed  who  could  be  otherwise  ?  and  I  resolved  not 

[4] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  think  of  going  abroad  any  more,  but  to  settle  at 
home  according  to  my  father's  desire.  But  alas !  a 
few  days  wore  it  all  off;  and,  in  short,  to  prevent 
any  of  my  father's  farther  importunities,  in  a  few 
weeks  after  I  resolved  to  run  quite  away  from  him. 
However,  I  did  not  act  so  hastily  neither  as  my  first 
heat  of  resolution  prompted,  but  I  took  my  mother, 
at  a  time  when  I  thought  her  a  little  pleasanter  than 
ordinary,  and  told  her,  that  my  thoughts  were  so 
entirely  bent  upon  seeing  the  world,  that  I  should 
never  settle  to  anything  with  resolution  enough  to 
go  through  with  it,  and  my  father  had  better  give 
me  his  consent  than  force  me  to  go  without  it ;  that 
I  was  now  eighteen  years  old,  which  was  too  late  to 
go  apprentice  to  a  trade,  or  clerk  to  an  attorney  ; 
that  I  was  sure  if  I  did,  I  should  never  serve  out 
my  time,  and  I  should  certainly  run  away  from  my 
master  before  my  time  was  out,  and  go  to  sea  ;  and 
if  she  would  speak  to  my  father  to  let  me  go  but  one 
voyage  abroad,  if  I  came  home  again  and  did  not 
like  it,  I  would  go  no  more,  and  I  would  promise  by 
a  double  diligence  to  recover  that  time  I  had  lost. 

This  put  my  mother  into  a  great  passion.  She 
told  me,  she  knew  it  would  be  to  no  purpose  to 
speak  to  my  father  upon  any  such  subject ;  that  he 
knew  too  well  what  was  my  interest  to  give  his  con- 
sent to  anything  so  much  for  my  hurt,  and  that  she 
wondered  how  I  could  think  of  any  such  thing  after 
such  a  discourse  as  I  had  had  with  my  father,  and 
such  kind  and  tender  expressions  as  she  knew  my 
father  had  used  to  me  ;  and  that,  in  short,  if  I  would 
ruin  myself  there  was  no  help  for  me ;  but  I  might 
depend  I  should  never  have  their  consent  to  it ;  that 
for  her  part,  she  would  not  have  so  much  hand  in  my 
destruction,  and  I  should  never  have  it  to  say,  that 
my  mother  was  willing  when  my  father  was  not. 

Though   my    mother   refused  to  move  it   to    my 

[5] 


ftOBINSON    CRUSOE 

father,  yet,  as  I  have  heard  afterwards,  she  reported 
all  the  discourse  to  him,  and  that  my  father,  after 
showing  a  great  concern  at  it,  said  to  her  with  a 
sigh,  "  That  boy  might  be  happy  if  he  would  stay  at 
home,  but  if  he  goes  abroad  he  will  be  the  miserablest 
wretch  that  was  ever  born  :  I  can  give  no  consent  to 
it." 

It  wras  not  till  almost  a  year  after  this  that  I  broke 
loose,  though  in  the  meantime  I  continued  obstinately 
deaf  to  all  proposals  of  settling  to  business,  and  fre- 
quently expostulating  with  my  father  and  mother 
about  their  being  so  positively  determined  against 
what  they  knew  my  inclinations  prompted  me  to. 
But  being  one  day  at  Hull,  where  I  went  casually, 
and  without  any  purpose  of  making  an  elopement 
that  time ;  but  I  say,  being  there,  and  one  of  my 
companions  being  going  by  sea  to  London,  in  his 
father's  ship,  and  prompting  me  to  go  with  them, 
with  the  common  allurement  of  seafaring  men,  viz., 
that  it  should  cost  me  nothing  for  my  passage,  I 
consulted  neither  father  or  mother  any  more,  nor  so 
much  as  sent  them  word  of  it ;  but  leaving  them  to 
hear  of  it  as  they  might,  without  asking  God's  bless- 
ing, or  my  father's,  without  any  consideration  of  cir- 
cumstances or  consequences,  and  in  an  ill  hour,  God 
knows,  on  the  first  of  September,  1651,  I  went  on 
board  a  ship  bound  for  London.  Never  any  young 
adventurer's  misfortunes,  I  believe,  began  sooner,  or 
continued  longer  than  mine.  The  ship  was  no  sooner 
gotten  out  of  the  H umber,  but  the  wind  began  to 
blow,  and  the  waves  to  rise  in  a  most  frightful  man- 
ner ;  and  as  I  had  never  been  at  sea  before,  I  was 
most  inexpressibly  sick  in  body,  and  terrified  in  my 
mind.  I  began  now  seriously  to  reflect  upon  what 
I  had  done,  and  how  justly  I  was  overtaken  by  the 
judgment  of  heaven  for  my  wicked  leaving  my  father's 
house,  and  abandoning  my  duty  ;  all  the  good  counsel 

[6] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

of  my  parents,  my  father's  tears  and  my  mother's 
entreaties,  came  now  fresh  into  my  mind,  and  my 
conscience,  which  was  not  yet  come  to  the  pitch  of 
hardness  which  it  has  been  since,  reproached  me  with 
the  contempt  of  advice,  and  the  breach  of  my  duty 
to  God  and  my  father. 

All  this  while  the  storm  increased,  and  the  sea, 
which  I  had  never  been  upon  before,  went  very  high, 
though  nothing  like  what  I  have  seen  many  times 
since ;  no,  nor  like  what  I  saw  a  few  days  after. 
But  it  was  enough  to  affect  me  then,  who  was  but  a 
young  sailor,  and  had  never  known  anything  of  the 
matter.  I  expected  every  wave  would  have  swal- 
lowed us  up,  and  that  every  time  the  ship  fell  down, 
as  I  thought,  in  the  trough  or  hollow  of  the  sea,  we 
should  never  rise  more ;  and  in  this  agony  of  mind  I 
made  many  vows  and  resolutions,  that  if  it  would 
please  God  here  to  spare  my  life  this  one  voyage,  if 
ever  I  got  once  my  foot  upon  dry  land  again,  I 
would  go  directly  home  to  my  father,  and  never  set 
it  into  a  ship  again  while  I  lived ;  that  I  would  take 
his  advice,  and  never  run  myself  into  such  miseries 
as  these  any  more.  Now  I  saw  plainly  the  goodness 
of  his  observations  about  the  middle  station  of  life, 
how  easy,  how  comfortably  he  had  lived  all  his  days, 
and  never  had  been  exposed  to  tempests  at  sea,  or 
troubles  on  shore ;  and  I  resolved  that  I  would,  like 
a  true  repenting  prodigal,  go  home  to  my  father. 

These  wise  and  sober  thoughts  continued  all  the 
while  the  storm  continued,  and  indeed  some  time 
after ;  but  the  next  day  the  wind  was  abated  and 
the  sea  calmer,  and  I  began  to  be  a  little  inured  to 
it.  However,  I  was  very  grave  for  all  that  day,  be- 
ing also  a  little  sea-sick  still ;  but  towards  night  the 
weather  cleared  up,  the  wind  was  quite  over,  and  a 
charming  fine  evening  followed ;  the  sun  went  down 
perfectly  clear,  and  rose  so  the  next  morning ;  and 

[7] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

having  little  or  no  wind,  and  a  smooth  sea,  the  sun 
shining  upon  it,  the  sight  was,  as  I  thought,  the 
most  delightful  that  ever  I  saw. 

I  had  slept  well  in  the  night,  and  was  now  no 
more  sea-sick  but  very  cheerful,  looking  with  wonder 
upon  the  sea  that  was  so  rough  and  terrible  the  day 
before,  and  could  be  so  calm  and  so  pleasant  in  so 
little  time  after.  And  now  lest  my  good  resolutions 
should  continue,  my  companion,  who  had  indeed  en- 
ticed me  away,  comes  to  me  :  "  Well,  Bob,"  says  he, 
clapping  me  on  the  shoulder,  "  how  do  you  do  after 
it  ?  I  warrant  you  were  frighted,  wa'n't  you,  last 
night,  when  it  blew  but  a  capful  of  wind?"  "A 
capful,  d'  you  call  it  ?  "  said  I ;  "  't  was  a  terrible 
storm."  "  A  storm,  you  fool  you,""  replies  he  ;  "  do 
you  call  that  a  storm  ?  Why,  it  was  nothing  at  all ; 
give  us  but  a  good  ship  and  sea-room,  and  we  think 
nothing  of  such  a  squall  of  wind  as  that :  but  you  're 
but  a  fresh-water  sailor,  Bob.  Come,  let  us  make  a 
bowl  of  punch,  and  we'll  forget  all  that;  d'ye  see 
what  charming  weather  't  is  now  ?  "  To  make  short 
this  sad  part  of  my  story,  we  went  the  old  way  of  all 
sailors  ;  the  punch  was  made,  and  I  was  made  drunk 
with  it,  and  in  that  one  night's  wickedness  I  drowned 
all  my  repentance,  all  my  reflections  upon  my  past 
conduct,  and  all  my  resolutions  for  my  future.  In 
a  word,  as  the  sea  was  returned  to  its  smoothness 
of  surface  and  settled  calmness  by  the  abatement  of 
that  storm,  so  the  hurry  of  my  thoughts  being  over, 
my  fears  and  apprehensions  of  being  swallowed  up 
by  the  sea  being  forgotten,  and  the  current  of  my 
former  desires  returned,  I  entirely  forgot  the  vows 
and  promises  that  I  made  in  my  distress.  I  found 
indeed  some  intervals  of  reflection,  and  the  serious 
thoughts  did,  as  it  were,  endeavour  to  return  again 
sometimes  ;  but  I  shook  them  off',  and  roused  myself 
from  them  as  it  were  from  a  distemper,  and  apply- 

[3] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

ing  myself  to  drink  and  company,  soon  mastered  the 
return  of  those  fits,  for  so  I  called  them,  and  I  had 
in  five  or  six  days  got  as  complete  a  victory  over 
conscience  as  any  young  fellow  that  resolved  not  to 
be  troubled  with  it  could  desire.  But  I  was  to  have 
another  trial  for  it  still ;  and  Providence,  as  in  such 
cases  generally  it  does,  resolved  to  leave  me  entirely 
without  excuse.  For  if  I  would  not  take  this  for  a 
deliverance,  the  next  was  to  be  such  a  one  as  the 
worst  and  most  hardened  wretch  among  us  would 
confess  both  the  danger  and  the  mercy. 

The  sixth  day  of  our  being  at  sea  we  came  into 
Yarmouth  roads ;  the  wind  having  been  contrary 
and  the  weather  calm,  we  had  made  but  little  way 
since  the  storm.  Here  we  were  obliged  to  come  to 
an  anchor,  and  here  we  lay,  the  wind  continuing 
contrary,  viz.,  at  south-west,  for  seven  or  eight  days, 
during  which  time  a  great  many  ships  from  New- 
castle came  into  the  same  roads,  as  the  common  har- 
bour where  the  ships  might  wait  for  a  wind  for  the 
river. 

We  had  not,  however,  rid  here  so  long,  but  should 
have  tided  it  up  the  river,  but  that  the  wind  blew 
too  fresh ;  and  after  we  had  lain  four  or  five  days, 
blew  very  hard.  However,  the  roads  being  reckoned 
as  good  as  a  harbour,  the  anchorage  good,  and  our 
ground-tackle  very  strong,  our  men  were  uncon- 
cerned, and  not  in  the  least  apprehensive  of  danger, 
but  spent  the  time  in  rest  and  mirth,  after  the  man- 
ner of  the  sea ;  but  the  eighth  day  in  the  morning 
the  wind  increased,  and  we  had  all  hands  at  work  to 
strike  our  topmasts,  and  make  everything  snug  and 
close,  that  the  ship  might  ride  as  easy  as  possible. 
By  noon  the  sea  went  very  high  indeed,  and  our  ship 
rid  forecastle  in,  shipped  several  seas,  and  we  thought 
once  or  twice  our  anchor  had  come  home ;  upon 
which  our  master  ordered  out  the  sheet-anchor,  so 

[9] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

that  we  rode  with  two  anchors  ahead,  and  the  cables 
veered  out  to  the  better  end. 

By  this  time  it  blew  a  terrible  storm  indeed,  and 
now  I  began  to  see  terror  and  amazement  in  the  faces 
even  of  the  seamen  themselves.  The  master,  though 
vigilant  to  the  business  of  preserving  the  ship,  yet 
as  he  went  in  and  out  of  his  cabin  by  me,  I  could 
hear  him  softly  to  himself  say  several  times,  "Lord 
be  merciful  to  us,  we  shall  be  all  lost,  we  shall  be  all 
undone ; "  and  the  like.  During  these  first  hurries 
I  was  stupid,  lying-  still  in  my  cabin,  which  was  in 
the  steerage,  and  cannot  describe  my  temper;  I 
could  ill  reassume  the  first  penitence,  which  I  had 
so  apparently  trampled  upon,  and  hardened  myself 
against ;  I  thought  the  bitterness  of  death  had  been 
past,  and  that  this  would  be  nothing  too,  like  the 
first.  But  when  the  master  himself  came  by  me,  as 
I  said  just  now,  and  said  we  should  be  all  lost,  I  was 
dreadfully  frighted ;  I  got  up  out  of  my  cabin,  and 
looked  out.  But  such  a  dismal  sight  I  never  saw  ; 
the  sea  went  mountains  high,  and  broke  upon  us 
every  three  or  four  minutes  ;  when  I  could  look 
about,  I  could  see  nothing  but  distress  round  us. 
Two  ships  that  rid  near  us  we  found  had  cut  their 
masts  by  the  board,  being  deep  loaden  ;  and  our  men 
cried  out,  that  a  ship  which  rid  about  a  mile  ahead 
of  us  was  foundered.  Two  more  ships  being  driven 
from  their  anchors,  were  run  out  of  the  roads  to  sea 
at  all  adventures,  and  that  with  not  a  mast  standing. 
The  light  ships  fared  the  best,  as  not  so  much  la- 
bouring in  the  sea ;  but  two  or  three  of  them  drove, 
and  came  close  by  us,  running  away  with  only  their 
sprit-sail  out  before  the  wind. 

Towards  evening  the  mate  and  boatswain  begged 
the  master  of  our  ship  to  let  them  cut  away  the  fore- 
mast, which  he  was  very  unwilling  to.  But  the 
boatswain  protesting  to  him  that  if  he  did  not  the 

[10] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

ship  would  founder,  he  consented ;  and  when  they 
had  cut  away  the  foremast,  the  mainmast  stood  so 
loose,  and  shook  the  ship  so  much,  they  were  obliged 
to  cut  her  away  also,  and  make  a  clear  deck. 

Any  one  may  judge  what  a  condition  I  must  be  in 
at  all  this,  who  was  but  a  young  sailor,  and  who  had 
been  in  such  a  fright  before  at  but  a  little.  Rut  if  I 
can  express  at  this  distance  the  thoughts  I  had  about 
me  at  that  time,  I  was  in  tenfold  more  horror  of  mind 
upon  account  of  my  former  convictions,  and  the  hav- 
ing returned  from  them  to  the  resolutions  I  had 
wickedly  taken  at  first,  than  I  was  at  death  itself; 
and  these,  added  to  the  terror  of  the  storm,  put  me 
into  such  a  condition,  that  I  can  by  no  words  de- 
scribe it.  But  the  worst  was  not  come  yet ;  the 
storm  continued  with  such  fury,  that  the  seamen 
themselves  acknowledged  they  had  never  known  a 
worse.  We  had  a  good  ship,  but  she  was  deep 
loaden,  and  wallowed  in  the  sea,  that  the  seamen 
every  now  and  then  cried  out  she  would  founder. 
It  was  my  advantage  in  one  respect,  that  I  did  not 
know  what  they  meant  by  founder  till  I  inquired. 
However,  the  storm  was  so  violent,  that  I  saw  what 
is  not  often  seen,  the  master,  the  boatswain,  and  some 
others  more  sensible  than  the  rest,  at  their  prayers, 
and  expecting  every  moment  when  the  ship  would 
go  to  the  bottom.  In  the  middle  of  the  night,  and 
under  all  the  rest  of  our  distresses,  one  of  the  men 
that  had  been  down  on  purpose  to  see  cried  out  we 
had  sprung  a  leak ;  another  said  there  was  four  foot 
water  in  the  hold.  Then  all  hands  were  called  to 
the  pump.  At  that  very  word  my  heart,  as  I 
thought,  died  within  me,  and  I  fell  backwards  upon 
the  side  of  my  bed  where  I  sat,  into  the  cabin.  How- 
ever, the  men  roused  me,  and  told  me,  that  I,  that 
was  able  to  do  nothing  before,  was  as  well  able  to 
pump  as  another ;  at  which  I  stirred  up  and  went 

[in 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  the  pump  and  worked  very  heartily.  While  this 
was  doing,  the  master  seeing  some  light  colliers,  who, 
not  able  to  ride  out  the  storm,  were  obliged  to  slip 
and  run  away  to  sea,  and  would  come  near  us,  ordered 
to  fire  a  gun  as  a  signal  of  distress.  I,  who  knew 
nothing  what  that  meant,  was  so  surprised  that  I 
thought  the  ship  had  broke,  or  some  dreadful  thing 
had  happened.  In  a  word,  I  was  so  surprised  that 
I  fell  down  in  a  swoon.  As  this  was  a  time  when 
everybody  had  his  own  life  to  think  of,  nobody 
minded  me,  or  what  was  become  of  me ;  but  another 
man  stepped  up  to  the  pump,  and  thrusting  me 
aside  with  his  foot,  let  me  lie,  thinking  I  had  been 
dead  ;  and  it  was  a  great  while  before  I  came  to 
myself. 

We  worked  on,  but  the  water  increasing  in  the 
hold,  it  was  apparent  that  the  ship  would  founder, 
and  though  the  storm  began  to  abate  a  little,  yet  as 
it  was  not  possible  she  could  swim  till  we  might 
run  into  a  port,  so  the  master  continued  firing  guns 
for  help ;  and  a  light  ship,  who  had  rid  it  out  just 
ahead  of  us,  ventured  a  boat  out  to  help  us.  It  was 
with  the  utmost  hazard  the  boat  came  near  us,  but 
it  was  impossible  for  us  to  get  on  board,  or  for  the 
boat  to  lie  near  the  ship's  side,  till  at  last  the  men 
rowing  very  heartily,  and  venturing  their  lives  to 
save  ours,  our  men  cast  them  a  rope  over  the  stern 
with  a  buoy  to  it,  and  then  veered  it  out  a  great 
length,  which  they  after  great  labour  and  hazard 
took  hold  of,  and  we  hauled  them  close  under  our 
stern,  and  got  all  into  their  boat.  It  was  to  no 
purpose  for  them  or  us  after  we  were  in  the  boat  to 
think  of  reaching  to  their  own  ship,  so  all  agreed 
to  let  her  drive,  and  only  to  pull  her  in  towards 
shore  as  much  as  we  could,  and  our  master  promised 
them  that  if  the  boat  was  staved  upon  shore  he 
would  make  it  good  to  their  master ;  so  partly  row- 

[12] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

itig  and  partly  driving,  our  boat  went  away  to  the 
norward,  sloping  towards  the  shore  almost  as  far  as 
Winterton  Ness. 

We  were  not  much  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
out  of  our  ship  but  we  saw  her  sink,  and  then  I 
understood  for  the  first  time  what  was  meant  by  a 
ship  foundering  in  the  sea.  I  must  acknowledge  I 
had  hardly  eyes  to  look  up  when  the  seamen  told  me 
she  was  sinking ;  for  from  that  moment  they  rather 
put  me  into  the  boat  than  that  I  might  be  said  to 
go  in  ;  my  heart  was  as  it  were  dead  within  me, 
partly  with  fright,  partly  with  horror  of  mind  and 
the  thoughts  of  what  was  yet  before  me. 

While  we  were  in  this  condition,  the  men  yet 
labouring  at  the  oar  to  bring  the  boat  near  the 
shore,  we  could  see,  when,  our  boat  mounting  the 
waves,  we  were  able  to  see  the  shore,  a  great  many 
people  running  along  the  shore  to  assist  us  when  we 
should  come  near.  But  we  made  but  slow  way 
towards  the  shore,  nor  were  we  able  to  reach  the 
shore,  till  being  past  the  lighthouse  at  Winterton, 
the  shore  falls  off  to  the  westward  towards  Cromer, 
and  so  the  land  broke  off  a  little  the  violence  of  the 
wind.  Here  we  got  in,  and  though  not  without 
much  difficulty  got  all  safe  on  shore,  and  walked 
afterwards  on  foot  to  Yarmouth,  where,  as  unfor- 
tunate men,  we  were  used  with  great  humanity  as 
well  by  the  magistrates  of  the  town,  who  assigned 
us  good  quarters,  as  by  particular  merchants  and 
owners  of  ships,  and  had  money  given  us  sufficient 
to  carry  us  either  to  London  or  back  to  Hull,  as 
we  thought  fit. 

Had  I  now  had  the  sense  to  have  gone  back  to 
Hull,  and  have  gone  home,  I  had  been  happy,  and 
my  father,  an  emblem  of  our  blessed  Saviour's  parable, 
had  even  killed  the  fatted  calf  for  me ;  for  hearing 
the  ship  I  went  away  in  was  cast  away  in  Yarmouth 

[13] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

road,  it  was  a  great  while  before  he  had  any  assur- 
ance that  I  was  not  drowned. 

But  my  ill  fate  pushed  me  on  now  with  an  obsti- 
nacy that  nothing  could  resist  ;  and  though  I  had 
several  times  loud  calls  from  my  reason  and  my  more 
composed  judgment  to  go  home,  yet  I  had  no  power 
to  do  it.  I  know  not  what  to  call  this,  nor  will  I 
urge  that  it  is  a  secret  overruling  decree  that  hurries 
us  on  to  be  the  instruments  of  our  own  destruction, 
even  though  it  be  before  us,  and  that  we  rush  upon 
it  with  our  eyes  open.  Certainly  nothing  but  some 
such  decreed  unavoidable  misery  attending,  and 
which  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  escape,  could  have 
pushed  me  forward  against  the  calm  reasonings  and 
persuasions  of  my  most  retired  thoughts,  and  against 
two  such  visible  instructions  as  I  had  met  with  in 
my  first  attempt. 

My  comrade,  who  had  helped  to  harden  me  before, 
and  who  was  the  master's  son,  was  now  less  forward 
than  I.  The  first  time  he  spoke  to  me  after  we  were 
at  Yarmouth,  which  was  not  till  two  or  three  days, 
for  we  were  separated  in  the  town  to  several  quarters 
—  I  say,  the  first  time  he  saw  me,  it  appeared  his 
tone  was  altered,  and  looking  very  melancholy  and 
shaking  his  head,  asked  me  how  I  did,  and  telling 
his  father  who  I  was,  and  how  I  had  come  this 
voyage  only  for  a  trial  in  order  to  go  farther  abroad, 
his  father  turning  to  me  with  a  very  grave  and  con- 
cerned tone,  "  Young  man,"  says  he,  "  you  ought 
never  to  go  to  sea  any  more,  you  ought  to  take  this 
for  a  plain  and  visible  token,  that  you  are  not  to  be 
a  seafaring  man."  "  Why,  sir,"  said  I,  "  will  you  go 
to  sea  no  more  ?  "  "  That  is  another  case,"  said  he  ; 
"  it  is  my  calling,  and  therefore  my  duty  ;  but  as  you 
made  this  voyage  for  a  trial?  you  see  what  a  taste 
Heaven  has  given  you  of  what  you  are  to  expect  if 
you  persist ;  perhaps  this  is  all  befallen  us  on  your 

[14] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

account,  like  Jonah  in  the  ship  of  Tarshish.  Pray," 
continues  he,  "  what  are  you  ?  and  on  what  account 
did  you  go  to  sea  ?  "  Upon  that  I  told  him  some 
of  my  story,  at  the  end  of  which  he  burst  out  with  a 
strange  kind  of  passion.  "  What  had  I  done,"  says 
he,  "  that  such  an  unhappy  wretch  should  come  into 
my  ship  ?  I  would  not  set  my  foot  in  the  same  ship 
with  thee  again  for  a  thousand  pounds."  This  in- 
deed was,  as  I  said,  an  excursion  of  his  spirits,  which 
were  yet  agitated  by  the  sense  of  his  loss,  and  was 
farther  than  he  could  have  authority  to  go.  How- 
ever, he  afterwards  talked  very  gravely  to  me,  ex- 
horted me  to  go  back  to  my  father,  and  not  tempt 
Providence  to  ray  ruin ;  *told  me  I  might  see  a 
visible  hand  of  Heaven  against  me.  "  And,  young 
man,"  said  he,  "  depend  upon  it,  if  you  do  not  go 
back,  wherever  you  go  you  will  meet  with  nothing 
but  disasters  and  disappointments,  till  your  father's 
words  are  fulfilled  upon  you." 

We  parted  soon  after  ;  for  I  made  him  little  answer, 
and  I  saw  him  no  more ;  which  way  he  went,  I  know 
not.  As  for  me,  having  some  money  in  my  pocket, 
I  travelled  to  London  by  land  ;  and  there,  as  well  as 
on  the  road,  had  many  struggles  with  myself  what 
course  of  life  I  should  take,  and  whether  I  should  go 
home,  or  go  to  sea. 

As  to  going  home,  shame  opposed  the  best 
motions  that  offered  to  my  thoughts ;  and  it  imme- 
diately occurred  to  me  how  I  should  be  laughed  at 
among  the  neighbours,  and  should  be  ashamed  to 
see,  not  my  father  and  mother  only,  but  even  every- 
body else  ;  from  whence  I  have  since  often  observed 
how  incongruous  and  irrational  the  common  temper 
of  mankind  is,  especially  of  youth,  to  that  reason 
which  ought  to  guide  them  in  such  cases,  viz.,  that 
they  are  not  ashamed  to  sin,  and  yet  are  ashamed  to 
repent ;  not  ashamed  of  the  action  for  which  they 

[15] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

ought  justly  to  be  esteemed  fools,  but  are  ashamed 
of  the  returning,  which  only  can  make  them  be 
esteemed  wise  men. 

In  this  state  of  life,  however,  I  remained  some 
time,  uncertain  what  measures  to  take,  and  what 
course  of  life  to  lead.  An  irresistible  reluctance 
continued  to  going  home ;  and  as  I  stayed  a  while, 
the  remembrance  of  the  distress  I  had  been  in  wore 
off;  and  as  that  abated,  the  little  motion  I  had  in 
my  desires  to  a  return  wore  off  with  it,  till  at  last  I 
quite  laid  aside  the  thoughts  of  it,  and  looked  out 
for  a  voyage.    ' 

That  evil  influence  which  carried  me  first  away 
from  my  father's  house,  that  hurried  me  into  the 
wild  and  indigested  notion  of  raising  my  fortune, 
and  that  impressed  those  conceits  so  forcibly  upon 
me  as  to  make  me  deaf  to  all  good  advice,  and  to 
the  entreaties  and  even  command  of  my  father  — 
I  say,  the  same  influence,  whatever  it  was,  presented 
the  most  unfortunate  of  all  enterprises  to  my  view  ; 
and  I  went  on  board  a  vessel  bound  to  the  coast  of 
Africa,  or,  as  our  sailors  vulgarly  call  it,  a  voyage 
to  Guinea. 

It  was  my  great  misfortune  that  in  all  these  ad- 
ventures I  did  not  ship  myself  as  a  sailor,  whereby, 
though  I  might  indeed  have  worked  a  little  harder 
than  ordinary,  yet  at  the  same  time  I  had  learned 
the  duty  and  office  of  a  foremast  man,  and  in  time 
might  have  qualified  myself  for  a  mate  or  lieutenant, 
if  not  for  a  master.  Rut  as  it  was  always  my  fate 
to  choose  for  the  worse,  so  I  did  here ;  for  having 
money  in  my  pocket,  and  good  clothes  upon  my 
back,  I  would  always  go  on  board  in  the  habit  of  a 
gentleman ;  and  so  I  neither  had  any  business  in  the 
ship,  or  learned  to  do  any. 

It  was  my  lot  first  of  all  to  fall  into  pretty  good 
company  in  London,  which  does  not  always  happen 

[16] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  such  loose  and  misguided  young  fellows  as  I  then 
was ;  the  devil  generally  not  omitting  to  lay  some 
snare  for  them  very  early ;  but  it  was  not  so  with 
me.  I  first  fell  acquainted  with  the  master  of  a 
ship  who  had  been  on  the  coast  of  Guinea,  and  who, 
having  had  very  good  success  there,  was  resolved  to 
go  again  ;  and  who,  taking  a  fancy  to  my  conversa- 
tion, which  was  not  at  all  disagreeable  at  that  time, 
hearing  me  say  I  had  a  mind  to  see  the  world,  told 
me  if  I  would  go  the  voyage  with  him  I  should  be 
at  no  expense  ;  I  should  be  his  messmate  and  his 
companion ;  and  if  I  could  carry  anything  with  me, 
I  should  have  all  the  advantage  of  it  that  the  trade 
would  admit,  and  perhaps  I  might  meet  with  some 
encouragement. 

I  embraced  the  offer ;  and,  entering  into  a  strict 
friendship  with  this  captain,  who  was  an  honest  and 
plain-dealing  man,  I  went  the  voyage  with  him,  and 
carried  a  small  adventure  with  me,  which,  by  the  dis- 
interested honesty  of  my  friend  the  captain,  I  in- 
creased very  considerably,  for  I  carried  about  ^40 
in  such  toys  and  trifles  as  the  captain  directed  me 
to  buy.  This  i?40  I  had  mustered  together  by  the 
assistance  of  some  of  my  relations  whom  I  corre- 
sponded with,  and  who,  I  believe,  got  my  father,  or 
at  least  my  mother,  to  contribute  so  much  as  that 
to  my  first  adventure. 

This  was  the  only  voyage  which  I  may  say  was 
successful  in  all  my  adventures,  and  which  I  owe  to 
the  integrity  and  honesty  of  my  friend  the  captain  ; 
under  whom  also  I  got  a  competent  knowledge  of 
the  mathematics  and  the  rules  of  navigation,  learned 
how  to  keep  an  account  of  the  ship's  course,  take  an 
observation,  and,  in  short,  to  understand  some  things 
that  were  needful  to  be  understood  by  a  sailor.  For, 
as  he  took  delight  to  introduce  me,  I  took  delight 
to  learn  ;  and,  in  a  word,  this  voyage  made  me  both 
VOL.  i.  —2  [  17  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

a  sailor  and  a  merchant ;  for  I  brought  home  five 
pounds  nine  ounces  of  gold  dust  for  my  adventure, 
which  yielded  me  in  London  at  my  return  almost 
i?300,  and  this  filled  me  with  those  aspiring  thoughts 
which  have  since  so  completed  my  ruin. 

Yet  even  in  this  voyage  I  had  my  misfortunes  too  ; 
particularly,  that  I  was  continually  sick,  being  thrown 
into  a  violent  calenture  by  the  excessive  heat  of  the 
climate ;  our  principal  trading  being  upon  the  coast, 
from  the  latitude  of  15  degrees  north  even  to  the 
line  itself. 

I  was  now  set  up  for  a  Guinea  trader ;  and  my 
friend,  to  my  great  misfortune,  dying  soon  after  his 
arrival,  I  resolved  to  go  the  same  voyage  again,  and 
I  embarked  in  the  same  vessel  with  one  who  was  his 
mate  in  the  former  voyage,  and  had  now  got  the 
command  of  the  ship.  This  was  the  unhappiest 
voyage  that  ever  man  made ;  for  though  I  did  not 
carry  quite  ^£100  of  my  new-gained  wealth,  so  that 
I  had  i?200  left,  and  which  I  lodged  with  my  friend's 
widow,  who  was  very  just  to  me,  yet  I  fell  into 
terrible  misfortunes  in  this  voyage ;  and  the  first  was 
this,  viz.,  our  ship  making  her  course  towards  the 
Canary  Islands,  or  rather  between  those  islands  and 
the  African  shore,  was  surprised  in  the  grey  of  the 
morning  by  a  Turkish  rover  of  Sallee,  who  gave 
chase  to  us  with  all  the  sail  she  could  make.  We 
crowded  also  as  much  canvas  as  our  yards  would 
spread,  or  our  masts  carry,  to  have  got  clear ;  but 
finding  the  pirate  gained  upon  us,  and  would  cer- 
tainly come  up  with  us  in  a  few  hours,  we  pre- 
pared to  fight,  our  ship  having  twelve  guns,  and  the 
rogue  eighteen.  About  three  in  the  afternoon  he 
came  up  with  us,  and  bringing  to,  by  mistake,  just 
athwart  our  quarter,  instead  of  athwart  our  stern, 
as  he  intended,  we  brought  eight  of  our  guns  to 
bear  on  that  side,  and  poured  in  a  broadside  upon 

[18] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

him,  which  made  him  sheer  off  again,  after  returning 
our  fire  and  pouring  in  also  his  small-shot  from  near 
200  men  which  he  had  on  board.  However,  we  had 
not  a  man  touched,  all  our  men  keeping  close.  He 
prepared  to  attack  us  again,  and  we  to  defend  our- 
selves ;  but  laying  us  on  board  the  next  time  upon 
our  other  quarter,  he  entered  sixty  men  upon  our 
decks,  who  immediately  fell  to  cutting  and  hacking 
the  decks  and  rigging.  We  plied  them  with  small- 
shot,  half-pikes,  powder-chests,  and  such  like,  and 
cleared  our  deck  of  them  twice.  However,  to  cut 
short  this  melancholy  part  of  our  story,  our  ship 
being  disabled,  and  three  of  our  men  killed  and 
eight  wounded,  we  were  obliged  to  yield,  and  were 
carried  all  prisoners  into  Sallee,  a  port  belonging 
to  the  Moors. 

The  usage  I  had  there  was  not  so  dreadful  as  at 
first  I  apprehended,  nor  was  I  carried  up  the  country 
to  the  emperor's  court,  as  the  rest  of  our  men  were, 
but  was  kept  by  the  captain  of  the  rover  as  his 
proper  prize,  and  made  his  slave,  being  young  and 
nimble,  and  fit  for  his  business.  At  this  surprising 
change  of  my  circumstances  from  a  merchant  to  a 
miserable  slave,  I  was  perfectly  overwhelmed  ;  and 
now  I  looked  back  upon  my  father's  prophetic  dis- 
course to  me,  that  I  should  be  miserable,  and  have 
none  to  relieve  me,  which  I  thought  was  now  so 
effectually  brought  to  pass,  that  it  could  not  be 
worse ;  that  now  the  hand  of  Heaven  had  overtaken 
me,  and  I  was  undone  without  redemption.  But 
alas !  this  was  but  a  taste  of  the  misery  I  was  to 
go  through,  as  will  appear  in  the  sequel  of  this  story. 

As  my  new  patron,  or  master,  had  taken  me  home 
to  his  house,  so  I  was  in  hopes  that  he  would  take 
me  with  him  when  he  went  to  sea  again,  believing 
that  it  would  some  time  or  other  be  his  fate  to  be 
taken   by  a  Spanish  or  Portugal  man-of-war;   and 

[19] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

that  then  I  should  be  set  at  liberty.  But  this  hope 
of  mine  was  soon  taken  away ;  for  when  he  went  to 
sea,  he  left  me  on  shore  to  look  after  his  little  gar- 
den, and  do  the  common  drudgery  of  slaves  about 
his  house ;  and  when  he  came  home  again  from  his 
cruise,  he  ordered  me  to  lie  in  the  cabin  to  look  after 
the  ship. 

Here  I  meditated  nothing  but  my  escape,  and  what 
method  I  might  take  to  effect  it,  but  found  no  way 
that  had  the  least  probability  in  it.  Nothing  pre- 
sented to  make  the  supposition  of  it  rational ;  for  I 
had  nobody  to  communicate  it  to  that  would  em- 
bark with  me,  no  fellow-slave,  no  Englishman,  Irish- 
man, or  Scotsman  there  but  myself;  so  that  for  two 
years,  though  I  often  pleased  myself  with  the  imagi- 
nation, yet  I  never  had  the  least  encouraging  pros- 
pect of  putting  it  in  practice. 

After  about  two  years  an  odd  circumstance  pre- 
sented itself,  which  put  the  old  thought  of  making 
some  attempt  for  my  liberty  again  in  my  head.  My 
patron  lying  at  home  longer  than  usual  without  fit- 
ting out  his  ship,  which,  as  I  heard,  was  for  want 
of  money,  he  used  constantly,  once  or  twice  a  week, 
sometimes  oftener,  if  the  weather  was  fair,  to  take 
the  ship's  pinnace,  and  go  out  into  the  road  a-fish- 
ing  ;  and  as  he  always  took  me  and  a  young  Maresco 
with  him  to  row  the  boat,  we  made  him  very  merry, 
and  I  proved  very  dexterous  in  catching  fish ;  inso- 
much, that  sometimes  he  would  send  me  with,  a 
Moor,  one  of  his  kinsmen,  and  the  youth  the  Maresco, 
as  they  called  him,  to  catch  a  dish  of  fish  for  him. 

It  happened  one  time  that,  going  a-fishing  in  a 
stark  calm  morning,  a  fog  rose  so  thick,  that  though 
we  were  not  half  a  league  from  the  shore  we  lost 
sight  of  it ;  and  rowing  we  knew  not  whither  or 
which  way,  we  laboured  all  day,  and  all  the  next 
night,  and  when  the  morning  came  we  found  we  had 

[  20  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

pulled  off  to  sea  instead  of  pulling  in  for  the  shore ; 
and  that  we  were  at  least  two  leagues  from  the  shore. 
However,  we  got  well  in  again,  though  with  a  great 
deal  of  labour,  and  some  danger,  for  the  wind  began 
to  blow  pretty  fresh  in  the  morning ;  but  particularly 
we  were  all  very  hungry. 

But  our  patron,  warned  by  this  disaster,  resolved 
to  take  more  care  of  himself  for  the  future  ;  and  hav- 
ing lying  by  him  the  long-boat  of  our  English  ship 
which  he  had  taken,  he  resolved  he  would  not  go 
a-fishing  any  more  without  a  compass  and  some  pro- 
vision ;  so  he  ordered  the  carpenter  of  his  ship,  who 
also  was  an  English  slave,  to  build  a  little  state- 
room, or  cabin,  in  the  middle  of  the  long-boat,  like 
that  of  a  barge,  with  a  place  to  stand  behind  it  to 
steer  and  haul  home  the  main-sheet,  and  room  before 
for  a  hand  or  two  to  stand  and  work  the  sails.  She 
sailed  with  what  we  call  a  shoulder-of-mutton  sail ; 
and  the  boom  jibbed  over  the  top  of  the  cabin,  which 
lay  very  snug  and  low,  and  had  in  it  room  for  him 
to  lie,  with  a  slave  or  two,  and  a  table  to  eat  on, 
with  some  small  lockers  to  put  in  some  bottles  of 
such  liquor  as  he  thought  fit  to  drink  ;  particularly 
his  bread,  rice,  and  coffee. 

We  went  frequently  out  with  this  boat  a-fishing, 
and  as  I  was  most  dexterous  to  catch  fish  for  him, 
he  never  went  without  me.  It  happened  that  he  had 
appointed  to  go  out  in  this  boat,  either  for  pleasure 
or  for  fish,  with  two  or  three  Moors  of  some  distinc- 
tion in  that  place,  and  for  whom  he  had  provided 
extraordinarily ;  and  had  therefore  sent  on  board 
the  boat  overnight  a  larger  store  of  provisions  than 
ordinary ;  and  had  ordered  me  to  get  ready  three 
fuzees  with  powder  and  shot,  which  were  on  board 
his  ship,  for  that  they  designed  some  sport  of  fowl- 
ing as  well  as  fishing. 

I  got  all   things  ready  as  he  had  directed,  and 

[21] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

waited  the  next  morning  with  the  boat,  washed 
clean,  her  ancient  and  pendants  out,  and  everything 
to  accommodate  his  guests ;  when  by-and-by  my 
patron  came  on  board  alone,  and  told  me  his  guests 
had  put  off  going,  upon  some  business  that  fell  out, 
and  ordered  me  with  the  man  and  boy,  as  usual,  to 
go  out  with  the  boat  and  catch  them  some  fish,  for 
that  his  friends  were  to  sup  at  his  house ;  and  com- 
manded that  as  soon  as  I  had  got  some  fish  I  should 
bring  it  home  to  his  house ;  all  which  I  prepared 
to  do. 

This  moment  my  former  notions  of  deliverance 
darted  into  my  thoughts,  for  now  I  found  I  was  like 
to  have  a  little  ship  at  my  command ;  and  my  mas- 
ter being  gone,  I  prepared  to  furnish  myself,  not  for 
a  fishing  business,  but  for  a  voyage ;  though  I  knew 
not,  neither  did  I  so  much  as  consider,  whither  I 
should  steer  ;  for  anywhere,  to  get  out  of  that  place,, 
was  my  way. 

My  first  contrivance  was  to  make  a  pretence  to 
speak  to  this  Moor,  to  get  something  for  our  subsist- 
ence on  board  ;  for  I  told  him  we  must  not  presume 
to  eat  of  our  patron's  bread.  He  said  that  was  true  ; 
so  he  brought  a  large  basket  of  rusk  or  biscuit  of 
their  kind,  and  three  jars  with  fresh  water,  into  the 
boat.  I  knew  where  my  patron's  case  of  bottles 
stood,  which  it  was  evident  by  the  make  were 
taken  out  of  some  English  prize;  and  I  conveyed 
them  into  the  boat  while  the  Moor  was  on  shore,  as 
if  they  had  been  there  before  for  our  master.  I  con- 
veyed also  a  great  lump  of  beeswax  into  the  boat, 
which  weighed  above  half  a  hundred  weight,  with  a 
parcel  of  twine  or  thread,  a  hatchet,  a  saw,  and  a 
hammer,  all  which  were  great  use  to  us  afterwards, 
especially  the  wax  to  make  candles.  Another  trick 
I  tried  upon  him,  which  he  innocently  came  into 
also.     His  name  was  Ismael,  who  they  call  Muly,  or 

[22] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

Moely ;  so  I  called  to  him,  "  Moely,"  said  I,  "  our 
patron's  guns  are  on  board  the  boat ;  can  you  not 
get  a  little  powder  and  shot  ?  it  may  be  we  may  kill 
some  alcamies  (so  fowl  like  our  curlews)  for  ourselves, 
for  I  know  he  keeps  the  gunner's  stores  in  the  ship." 
"  Ye  ,"  says  he,  "  I  '11  bring  some ; "  and  accordingly 
he  brought  a  great  leather  pouch  which  held  about 
a  pound  and  a  half  of  powder,  or  rather  more ;  and 
another  with  shot,  that  had  five  or  six  pounds,  with 
some  bullets,  and  put  all  into  the  boat.  At  the 
same  time  I  had  found  some  powder  of  my  master's 
in  the  great  cabin,  with  which  I  filled  one  of  the 
large  bottles  in  the  case,  which  was  almost  emptv, 
pouring  what  was  in  it  into  another ;  and  thus  fur- 
nished with  everything  needful,  we  sailed  out  of  the 
port  to  fish.  The  castle,  which  is  at  the  entrance  of 
the  port,  knew  who  we  were,  and  took  no  notice 
of  us  ;  and  we  were  not  above  a  mile  out  of  the  port 
before  we  hauled  in  our  sail,  and  set  us  down  to  fish. 
The  wind  blew  from  the  NNE.,  which  was  contrary 
to  my  desire ;  for  had  it  blown  southerly  I  had  been 
sure  to  have  made  the  coast  of  Spain,  and  at  least 
reached  to  the  bay  of  Cadiz ;  but  my  resolutions 
were,  blow  which  way  it  would,  I  would  be  gone 
from  the  horrid  place  where  I  was,  and  leave  the 
rest  to  Fate; 

After  we  had  fished  some  time  and  catched  noth- 
ing, for  when  I  had  fish  on  my  hook  I  would  not- 
pull  them  up,  that  he  might  not  see  them,  I  said  to 
the  Moor,  "  This  will  not  do  ;  our  master  will  not 
be  thus  served ;  we  must  stand  farther  off."  He, 
thinking  no  harm,  agreed,  and  being  in  the  head  of 
the  boat  set  the  sails  ;  and  as  I  had  the  helm  I  run 
the  boat  out  near  a  league  farther,  and  then  brought 
her  to  as  if  I  would  fish  ;  when  giving  the  boy  the 
helm,  I  stepped  forward  to  where  the  Moor  was,  and 
making  as  if  I  stooped  for  something  behind  him,  I 

[23] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

took  him  by  surprise  with  my  arm  under  his  twist, 
and  tossed  him  clear  overboard-  into  the  sea.  He 
rose  immediately,  for  he  swam  like  a  cork,  and 
called  to  me,  begged  to  be  taken  in,  told  me 
he  would  go  all  the  world  over  with  me.  He 
swam  so  strong  after  the  boat,  that  he  would  have 
reached  me  very  quickly,  there  being  but  little  wind  ; 
upon  which  I  stepped  into  the  cabin,  and  fetching 
one  of  the  fowling-pieces,  I  presented  it  at  him,  and 
told  him  I  had  done  him  no  hurt,  and  if  he  would 
be  quiet  I  would  do  him  none.  "  But,"  said  I, 
"  you  swim  well  enough  to  reach  to  the  shore,  and 
the  sea  is  calm  ;  make  the  best  of  your  way  to  shore, 
and  I  will  do  you  no  harm ;  but  if  you  come  near 
the  boat  1 11  shoot  you  through  the  head,  for  I  am 
resolved  to  have  my  liberty.'"  So  he  turned  himself 
about,  and  swam  for  the  shore,  and  I  make  no  doubt 
but  he  reached  it  with  ease,  for  he  was  an  excellent 
swimmer. 

I  could  have  been  content  to  have  taken  this 
Moor  with  me,  and  have  drowned  the  boy,  but  there 
was  no  venturing  to  trust  him.  When  he  was  gone 
I  turned  to  the  boy,  whom  they  called  Xury,  and 
said  to  him,  "  Xury,  if  you  will  be  faithful  to  me 
1 11  make  you  a  great  man  ;  but  if  you  will  not 
stroke  your  face  to  be  true  to  me,11  that  is,  swear  by 
Mahomet  and  his  father's  beard,  "  I  must  throw  you 
into  the  sea  too.r)  The  boy  smiled  in  my  face,  and 
spoke  so  innocently,  that  I  could  not  mistrust  him, 
and  swore  to  be  faithful  to  me,  and  go  all  over  the 
world  with  me. 

While  I  was  in  view  of  the  Moor  that  was  swim- 
ming, I  stood  out  directly  to  sea  with  the  boat, 
rather  stretching  to  windward,  that  they  might 
think  me  gone  towards  the  straits'  mouth  (as  indeed 
any  one  that  had  been  in  their  wits  must  have  been 
supposed  to  do) ;  for  who  would  have  supposed  we 

[24] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

were  sailed  on  to  the  southward  to  the  truly  barba- 
rian coast,  where  whole  nations  of  negroes  were  sure 
to  surround  us  with  their  canoes,  and  destroy  us  ; 
where  we  could  ne'er  once  go  on  shore  but  we  should 
be  devoured  by  savage  beasts,  or  more  merciless  sav- 
ages of  human  kind  ? 

But  as  soon  as  it  grew  dusk  in  the  evening,  I 
changed  my  course,  and  steered  directly  south  and 
by  east,  bending  my  course  a  little  toward  the  east, 
that  I  might  keep  in  with  the  shore ;  and  having  a 
fair,  fresh  gale  of  wind,  and  a  smooth,  quiet  sea,  I 
made  such  sail  that  I  believe  by  the  next  day  at 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  I  first  made 
the  land,  I  could  not  be  less  than  150  miles  south  of 
Sallee ;  quite  beyond  the  Emperor  of  Morocco's  do- 
minions, or  indeed  of  any  other  king  thereabouts, 
for  we  saw  no  people. 

Yet  such  was  the  fright  I  had  taken  at  the  Moors, 
and  the  dreadful  apprehensions  I  had  of  falling  into 
their  hands,  that  I  would  not  stop,  or  go  on  shore, 
or  come  to  an  anchor,  the  wind  continuing  fair,  till 
I  had  sailed  in  that  manner  five  days ;  and  then  the 
wind  shifting  to  the  southward,  I  concluded  also  that 
if  any  of  our  vessels  were  in  chase  of  me,  they  also 
would  now  give  over ;  so  I  ventured  to  make  to  the 
coast,  and  came  to  an  anchor  in  the  mouth  of  a  little 
river,  I  knew  not  what,  or  where ;  neither  what 
latitude,  what  country,  what  nations,  or  what  river. 
I  neither  saw,  or  desired  to  see,  any  people;  the 
principal  thing  I  wanted  was  fresh  water.  We  came 
into  this  creek  in  the  evening,  resolving  to  swim  on 
shore  as  soon  as  it  was  dark,  and  discover  the  coun- 
try ;  but  as  soon  as  it  was  quite  dark  we  heard  such 
dreadful  noises  of  the  barking,  roaring,  and  howling 
of  wild  creatures,  of  we  knew  not  what  kinds,  that 
the  poor  boy  was  ready  to  die  with  fear,  and  begged 
of  me  not  to  go  on  shore  till  day.     "  Well,  Xury," 

[25] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

said  I,  "  then  I  won't ;  but  it  may  be  we  may  see 
men  by  day,  who  will  be  as  bad  to  us  as  those  lions." 
"  Then  we  give  them  the  shoot  gun,'1''  says  Xury, 
laughing ;  "  make  them  run  way."  Such  English 
Xury  spoke  by  conversing  among  us  slaves.  How- 
ever, I  was  glad  to  see  the  boy  so  cheerful,  and  I 
gave  him  a  dram  (out  of  our  patron's  case  of  bottles) 
to  cheer  him  up.  After  all,  Xury's  advice  was  good, 
and  I  took  it ;  we  dropped  our  little  anchor  and  lay 
still  all  night.  I  say  still,  for  we  slept  none ;  for  in  two 
or  three  hours  we  saw  vast  great  creatures  (we  knew 
not  what  to  call  them)  of  many  sorts  come  down  to 
the  sea-shore  and  run  into  the  water,  wallowing  and 
washing  themselves  for  the  pleasure  of  cooling  them- 
selves ;  and  they  made  such  hideous  howlings  and 
yellings,  that  I  never  indeed  heard  the  like. 

Xury  was  dreadfully  frighted,  and  indeed  so  was 
I  too  ;  but  we  were  both  more  frighted  when  we 
heard  one  of  these  mighty  creatures  come  swimming 
towards  our  boat ;  we  could  not  see  him,  but  we 
might  hear  him  by  his  blowing  to  be  a  monstrous 
huge  and  furious  beast.  Xury  said  it  was  a  lion, 
and  it  might  be  so  for  aught  I  know ;  but  poor 
Xury  cried  to  me  to  weigh  the  anchor  and  row 
away.  "  No,"  says  I,  "  Xury  ;  we  can  slip  our  cable 
with  the  buoy  to  it,  and  go  off  to  sea  ;  they  cannot 
follow  us  far."  I  had  no  sooner  said  so,  but  I  per- 
ceived the  creature  (whatever  it  was)  within  two 
oars'  length,  which  something  surprised  me  ;  how- 
ever, I  immediately  stepped  to  the  cabin  door,  and 
taking  up  my  gun,  fired  at  him,  upon  which  he  im- 
mediately turned  about  and  swam  towards  the  shore 
again. 

But  it  is  impossible  to  describe  the  horrible  noises, 
and  hideous  cries  and  howlings,  that  were  raised,  as 
well  upon  the  edge  of  the  shore  as  higher  within  the 
country,  upon  the  noise  or  report  of  the  gun,  a  thing  I 

[26] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

have  some  reason  to  believe  those  creatures  had  never 
heard  before.  This  convinced  me  that  there  was  no 
going  on  shore  for  us  in  the  night  upon  that  coast  ; 
and  how  to  venture  on  shore  in  the  day  was  another 
question  too  ;  for  to  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of 
any  of  the  savages,  had  been  as  bad  as  to  have  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  lions  and  tigers  ;  at  least  we  were 
equally  apprehensive  of  the  danger  of  it. 

Be  that  as  it  would,  we  were  obliged  to  go  on  shore 
somewhere  or  other  for  water,  for  we  had  not  a  pint 
left  in  the  boat ;  when  or  where  to  get  to  it,  was  the 
point.  Xury  said  if  I  would  let  him  go  on  shore 
with  one  of  the  jars,  he  would  find  if  there  was  any 
water  and  bring  some  to  me.  I  asked  him  why  he 
would  go  ?  why  I  should  not  go  and  he  stay  in  the 
boat  ?  The  boy  answered  with  so  much  affection, 
that  made  me  love  him  ever  after.  Savs  he,  "  If 
wild  mans  come,  they  eat  me,  you  go  way."  "  Well, 
Xury,""  said  I,  "  we  will  both  go  ;  and  if  the  wild 
mans  come,  we  will  kill  them,  they  shall  eat  neither 
of  us."  So  I  gave  Xury  a  piece  of  rusk  bread  to  eat, 
and  a  dram  out  of  our  patron's  case  of  bottles  which 
I  mentioned  before ;  and  we  hauled  in  the  boat  as 
near  the  shore  as  we  thought  was  proper,  and  so 
waded  on  shore,  carrying  nothing  but  our  arms  and 
two  jars  for  water. 

I  did  not  care  to  go  out  of  sight  of  the  boat,  fear- 
ing the  coming  of  canoes  with  savages  down  the 
river;  but  the  boy  seeing  a  low  place  about  a  mile 
up  the  country,  rambled  to  it ;  and  by-and-by  I  saw 
him  come  running  towards  me.  I  thought  he  was 
pursued  by  some  savage,  or  frighted  with  some  wild 
beast,  and  I  ran  forward  towards  him  to  help  him  ; 
but  when  I  came  nearer  to  him,  I  saw  something 
hanging  over  his  shoulders,  which  was  a  creature 
that  he  had  shot,  like  a  hare,  but  different  in  colour, 
and  longer  legs.     However,  we  were  very  glad  of  it, 

[27] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  it  was  very  good  meat ;  but  .the  great  joy  that 
poor  Xury  came  with  was  to  tell  me  he  had  found 
good  water,  and  seen  no  wild  mans. 

But  we  found  afterwards  that  we  need  not  take 
such  pains  for  water,  for  a  little  higher  up  the  creek 
where  we  were  we  found  the  water  fresh  when  the 
tide  was  out,  which  flowed  but  a  little  way  up ;  so 
we  filled  our  jars,  and  feasted  on  the  hare  we  had 
killed,  and  prepared  to  go  on  our  way,  having  seen 
no  footsteps  of  any  human  creature  in  that  part  of 
the  country. 

As  I  had  been  one  voyage  to  this  coast  before,  I 
knew  very  well  that  the  islands  of  the  Canaries,  and 
the  Cape  de  Verde  Islands  also,  lay  not  far  off  from 
the  coast.  But  as  I  had  no  instruments  to  take  an 
observation  to  know  what  latitude  we  were  in,  and 
did  not  exactly  know,  or  at  least  remember,  what 
latitude  they  were  in,  I  knew  not  where  to  look  for 
them,  or  when  to  stand  off  to  sea  towards  them  ; 
otherwise  I  might  now  easily  have  found  some  of 
these  islands.  But  my  hope  was,  that  if  I  stood 
along  this  coast  till  I  came  to  that  part  where  the 
English  traded,  I  should  find  some  of  their  vessels 
upon  their  usual  design  of  trade,  that  would  relieve 
and  take  us  in. 

By  the  best  of  my  calculation,  that  place  where  I 
now  was  must  be  that  country  which,  lying  between 
the  Emperor  of  Morocco's  dominions  and  the  negroes, 
lies  waste  and  uninhabited,  except  by  wild  beasts  ; 
the  negroes  having  abandoned  it  and  gone  farther 
south  for  fear  of  the  Moors,  and  the  Moors  not  think- 
ing it  worth  inhabiting,  by  reason  of  its  barrenness ; 
and  indeed  both  forsaking  it  because  of  the  pro- 
digious numbers  of  tigers,  lions,  leopards,  and  other 
furious  creatures  which  harbour  there  ;  so  that  the 
Moors  use  it  for  their  hunting  only,  where  they  go 
like  an  army,  two  or  three  thousand  men  at  a  time ; 

[28] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  indeed  for  near  an  hundred  miles  together  upon 
this  coast  we  saw  nothing  but  a  waste  uninhabited 
country  by  day,  and  heard  nothing  but  howlings  and 
roarings  of  wild  beasts  by  night. 

Once  or  twice  in  the  daytime  I  thought  I  saw  the 
Pico  of  Teneriffe,  being  the  high  top  of  the  Mountain 
Teneriffe  in  the  Canaries,  and  had  a  great  mind  to 
venture  out,  in  hopes  of  reaching  thither ;  but  having 
tried  twice,  I  was  forced  in  again  by  contrary  winds, 
the  sea  also  going  too  high  for  my  little  vessel ;  so  I 
resolved  to  pursue  my  first  design,  and  keep  along 
the  shore. 

Several  times  I  was  obliged  to  land  for  fresh  water 
after  we  had  left  this  place ;  and  once  in  particular, 
being  early  in  the  morning,  we  came  to  an  anchor 
under  a  little  point  of  land  which  was  pretty  high ; 
and  the  tide  beginning  to  flow,  we  lay  still  to  go 
farther  in.  Xury,  whose  eyes  were  more  about  him 
than  it  seems  mine  were,  calls  softly  to  me,  and  tells 
me  that  we  had  best  go  farther  off  the  shore;  "For," 
says  he,  "  look,  yonder  lies  a  dreadful  monster  on  the 
side  of  that  hillock  fast  asleep."  I  looked  where  he 
pointed,  and  saw  a  dreadful  monster  indeed,  for  it 
was  a  terrible  great  lion  that  lay  on  the  side  of  the 
shore,  under  the  shade  of  a  piece  of  the  hill  that 
hung  as  it  were  a  little  over  him.  "Xury,"  says  I, 
"  you  shall  go  on  shore  and  kill  him."  Xury  looked 
frighted,  and  said,  "  Me  kill !  he  eat  me  at  one 
mouth;"  one  mouthful  he  meant.  However,  I  said 
no  more  to  the  boy,  but  bade  him  lie  still,  and  I 
took  our  biggest  gun,  which  was  almost  musket-bore, 
and  loaded  it  with  a  good  charge  of  powder,  and 
with  two  slugs,  and  laid  it  down ;  then  I  loaded 
another  gun  with  two  bullets ;  and  the  third  (for  we 
had  three  pieces)  I  loaded  with  five  smaller  bullets. 
I  took  the  best  aim  I  could  with  the  first  piece  to 
have  shot  him  into  the  head,  but  he  lay  so  with  his 

[29] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

leg  raised  a  little  above  his  nose,  that  the  slugs  hit 
his  leg  about  the  knee,  and  broke  the  bone.  He 
started  up  growling  at  first,  but  finding  his  leg  broke, 
fell  down  again,  and  then  got  up  upon  three  legs  and 
tjave  the  most  hideous  roar  that  ever  I  heard.  I  was 
a  little  surprised  that  I  had  not  hit  him  on  the  head. 
However,  I  took  up  the  second  piece  immediately, 
and,  though  he  began  to  move  off,  fired  again,  and 
shot  him  into  the  head,  and  had  the  pleasure  to  see 
him  drop,  and  make  but  little  noise,  but  lay  strug- 
gling for  life.  Then  Xury  took  heart,  and  would 
nave  me  let  him  go  on  shore.  "  Well,  go,"  said  I ;  so 
the  boy  jumped  into  the  water,  and  taking  a  little 
gun  in  one  hand,  swam  to  shore  with  the  other  hand, 
and  coming  close  to  the  creature,  put  the  muzzle  of 
the  piece  to  his  ear,  and  shot  him  into  the  head 
again,  which  despatched  him  quite. 

This  was  game  indeed  to  us,  but  this  was  no  food ; 
and  I  was  very  sorry  to  lose  three  charges  of  powder 
and  shot  upon  a  creature  that  was  good  for  nothing 
to  us.  However,  Xury  said  he  would  have  some 
of  him  ;  so  he  comes  on  board,  and  asked  me  to 
give  him  the  hatchet.  "For  what,  Xury  ?"  said  I. 
44  Me  cut  off  his  head,"  said  he.  However,  Xury  could 
not  cut  off  his  head,  but  he  cut  off  a  foot,  and  brought 
it  w.ith  him,  and  it  was  a  monstrous  great  one. 

I  bethought  myself,  however,  that  perhaps  the  skin 
of  him  might  one  way  or  other  be  of  some  value  to 
us  ;  and  I  resolved  to  take  off  his  skin  if  I  could.  So 
Xury  and  I  went  to  work  with  him  ;  but  Xury  was 
much  the  better  workman  at  it,  for  I  knew  very  ill 
how  to  do  it.  Indeed,  it  took  us  up  both  the  whole 
day,  but  at  last  we  got  off  the  hide  of  him,  and 
spreading  it  on  the  top  of  our  cabin,  the  sun  effect- 
ually dried  it  in  two  days'*  time,  and  it  afterwards 
served  me  to  lie  upon. 

After  this  stop  we  made  on  to  the  southward  con- 

[30] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

tinually  for  ten  or  twelve  days,  living  very  sparing 
on  our  provisions,  which  began  to  abate  very  much, 
and  going  no  oftener  into  the  shore  than  we  were 
obliged  to  for  fresh  water.  My  design  in  this  was 
to  make  the  river  Gambia  or  Senegal  —  that  is  to 
say,  anywhere  about  the  Cape  de  Verde  —  where  I 
was  in  hopes  to  meet  with  some  European  ship  ;  and 
if  I  did  not,  I  knew  not  what  course  I  had  to  take, 
but  to  seek  out  for  the  islands,  or  perish  there  among 
the  negroes.  I  knew  that  all  the  ships  from  Europe, 
which  sailed  either  to  the  coast  of  Guinea  or  to  Bra- 
zil, or  to  the  East  Indies,  made  this  cape,  or  those 
islands ;  and  in  a  word,  I  put  the  whole  of  my  for- 
tune upon  this  single  point,  either  that  I  must  meet 
with  some  ship,  or  must  perish. 

When  I  had  pursued  this  resolution  about  ten  days 
longer,  as  I  have  said,  I  began  to  see  that  the  land 
was  inhabited;  and  in  two  or  three  places,  as  we 
sailed  by,  we  saw  people  stand  upon  the  shore  to 
look  at  us ;  we  could  also  perceive  they  were  quite 
black,  and  stark  naked.  I  was  once  inclined  to  have 
gone  on  shore  to  them ;  but  Xury  was  my  better 
counsellor,  and  said  to  me,  "  No  go,  no  go."  How- 
ever, I  hauled  in  nearer  the  shore  that  I  might  talk 
to  them,  and  I  found  they  ran  along  the  shore  by 
me  a  good  way.  I  observed  they  had  no  weapons  in 
their  hands,  except  one,  who  had  a  long  slender  stick, 
which  Xury  said  was  a  lance,  and  that  they  would 
throw  them  a  great  way  with  good  aim.  So  I  kept 
at  a  distance,  but  talked  with  them  by  signs  as  well 
as  I  could,  and  particularly  made  signs  for  something 
to  eat ;  they  beckoned  to  me  to  stop  my  boat,  and 
that  they  would  fetch  me  some  meat.  Upon  this  I 
lowered  the  top  of  my  sail,  and  lay  by,  and  two  of 
them  ran  up  into  the  country,  and  in  less  than  half 
an  hour  came  back,  and  brought  with  them  two 
pieces  of  dried  flesh  and  some  corn,  such  as  is  the 

[31] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

produce  of  their  country  ;  but  we  neither  knew  what 
the  one  or  the  other  was.  However,  we  were  willing 
to  accept  it,  but  how  to  come  at  it  was  our  next  dis- 
pute, for  I  was  not  for  venturing  on  shore  to  them, 
and  they  were  as  much  afraid  of  us ;  but  they  took  a 
safe  way  for  us  all,  for  they  brought  it  to  the  shore 
and  laid  it  down,  and  went  and  stood  a  great  way  off' 
till  we  fetched  it  on  board,  and  then  came  close  to  us 
again. 

We  made  signs  of  thanks  to  them,  for  we  had 
nothing  to  make  them  amends.  But  an  opportunity 
offered  that  very  instant  to  oblige  them  wonderfully  ; 
for  while  we  were  lying  by  the  shore  came  two 
mighty  creatures,  one  pursuing  the  other  (as  we  took 
it)  with  great  fury  from  the  mountains  towards  the 
sea ;  whether  it  was  the  male  pursuing  the  female, 
or  whether  they  were  in  sport  or  in  rage,  we  could 
not  tell,  any  more  than  we  could  tell  whether  it  was 
usual  or  strange,  but  I  believe  it  was  the  latter ; 
because,  in  the  first  place,  those  ravenous  creatures 
seldom  appear  but  in  the  night ;  and  in  the  second 
place,  we  found  the  people  terribly  frighted,  especially 
the  women.  The  man  that  had  the  lance  or  dart 
did  not  fly  from  them,  but  the  rest  did ;  however,  as 
the  two  creatures  ran  directly  into  the  water,  they 
did  not  seem  to  offer  to  fall  upon  any  of  the  negroes, 
but  plunged  themselves  into  the  sea,  and  swam  about, 
as  if  they  had  come  for  their  diversion.  At  last,  one 
of  them  began  to  come  nearer  our  boat  than  at  first 
I  expected ;  but  I  lay  ready  for  him,  for  I  had  loaded 
my  gun  with  all  possible  expedition,  and  bade  Xury 
load  both  the  others.  As  soon  as  he  came  fairly 
within  my  reach,  I  fired,  and  shot  him  directly 
into  the  head  ;  immediately  he  sunk  down  into  the 
water,  but  rose  instantly,  and  plunged  up  and  down, 
as  if  he  was  struggling  for  life,  and  so  indeed  he 
was.    He  immediately  made  to  the  shore;  but  between 

[32] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

the  wound,  which  was  his  mortal  hurt,  and  the  strang- 
ling of  the  water,  he  died  just  before  he  reached  the 
shore. 

It  is  impossible  to  express  the  astonishment  of 
these  poor  creatures,  at  the  noise  and  the  fire  of  my 
gun ;  some  of  them  were  even  ready  to  die  for  fear, 
and  fell  down  as  dead  with  the  very  terror.  But 
when  they  saw  the  creature  dead,  and  sunk  in  the 
water,  and  that  I  made  signs  to  them  to  come  to 
the  shore,  they  took  heart  and  came  to  the  shore, 
and  began  to  search  for  the  creature.  I  found  him 
by  his  blood  staining  the  water :  and  by  the  help  of 
a  rope,  which  I  slung  round  him,  and  gave  the 
negroes  to  haul,  they  dragged  him  on  the  shore,  and 
found  that  it  was  a  most  curious  leopard,  spotted, 
and  fine  to  an  admirable  degree ;  and  the  negroes 
held  up  their  hands  with  admiration,  to  think  what 
it  was  I  had  killed  him  with. 

The  other  creature,  frighted  with  the  flash  of  fire 
and  the  noise  of  the  gun,  swam  on  shore,  and  ran  up 
directly  to  the  mountains  from  whence  the}'  came ; 
nor  could  I,  at  that  distance,  know  what  it  was.  I 
found  quickly  the  negroes  were  for  eating  the  flesh 
of  this  creature,  so  I  was  willing  to  have  them  take 
it  as  a  favour  from  me ;  which,  when  I  made  signs  to 
them  that  they  might  take  him,  they  were  very 
thankful  for.  Immediately  they  fell  to  work  with 
him  ;  and  though  they  had  no  knife,  yet,  with  a 
sharpened  piece  of  wood,  they  took  off  his  skin  as 
readily,  and  much  more  readily,  than  we  could  have 
done  with  a  knife.  They  offered  me  some  of  the 
flesh,  which  I  declined,  making  as  if  I  would  give  it 
them,  but  made  signs  for  the  skin,  which  they  gave 
me  very  freely,  and  brought  me  a  great  deal  more  of 
their  provision,  which,  though  I  did  not  understand, 
yet  I  accepted.  Then  I  made  signs  to  them  for 
some  water,  and  held  out  one  of  my  jars  to  them, 

VOL.  I.  — 3  [33] 


ROBINSON    -CRUSOE 

turning  it  bottom  upward,  to  show  that  it  was  empty, 
and  that  I  wanted  to  have  it  filled.  They  called 
immediately  to  some  of  their  friends,  and  there  came 
two  women,  and  brought  a  great  vessel  made  of 
earth,  and  burnt,  as  I  suppose,  in  the  sun  ;  this  they 
set  down  for  me,  as  before,  and  I  sent  Xury  on  shore 
with  my  jars,  and  filled  them  all  three.  The  women 
were  as  stark  naked  as  the  men. 

I  was  now  furnished  with  roots  and  corn,  such  as 
it  was,  and  water  ;  and  leaving  my  friendly  negroes, 
I  made  forward  for  about  eleven  days  more,  without 
offering  to  go  near  the  shore,  till  I  saw  the  land  run 
out  a  great  length  into  the  sea,  at  about  the  distance 
of  four  or  five  leagues  before  me ;  and  the  sea  being 
very  calm,  I  kept  a  large  offing,  to  make  this  point. 
At  length,  doubling  the  point,  at  about  two  leagues 
from  the  land,  I  saw  plainly  land  on  the  other  side, 
to  seaward ;  then  I  concluded,  as  it  was  most  certain 
indeed,  that  this  was  the  Cape  de  Verde,  and  those 
the  islands,  called  from  thence  Cape  de  Verde  Islands. 
However,  they  were  at  a  great  distance,  and  I  could 
not  well  tell  what  I  had  best  to  do ;  for  if  I  should 
be  taken  with  a  fresh  of  wind,  I  might  neither  reach 
one  or  other. 

In  this  dilemma,  as  I  was  very  pensive,  I  stepped 
into  the  cabin,  and  sat  me  down,  Xury  having  the 
helm  ;  when,  on  a  sudden,  the  boy  cried  out,  "  Master 
master,  a  ship  with  a  sail ! "  and  the  foolish  boy  was 
frighted  out  of  his  wits,  thinking  it  must  needs  be 
some  of  his  master's  ships  sent  to  pursue  us,  when  I 
knew  we  were  gotten  far  enough  out  of  their  reach. 
I  jumped  out  of  the  cabin,  and  immediately  saw,  not 
only  the  ship,  but  what  she  was,  viz.,  that  it  was  a 
Portuguese  ship,  and,  as  I  thought,  was  bound  to  the 
coast  of  Guinea,  for  negroes.  But  when  I  observed 
the  course  she  steered,  I  was  soon  convinced  they  were 
bound  some  other  way,  and  did  not  design  to  come 

[34] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

any  nearer  to  the  shore ;  upon  which  I  stretched  out 
to  sea  as  much  as  I  could,  resolving  to  speak  with 
them,  if  possible. 

With  all  the  sail  I  could  make,  I  found  I  should 
not  be  able  to  come  in  their  way,  but  that  they  would 
be  gone  by  before  I  could  make  any  signal  to  them  ; 
but  after  I  had  crowded  to  the  utmost,  and  began  to 
despair,  they,  it  seems,  saw  me  by  the  help  of  their 
perspective  glasses,  and  that  it  was  some  European 
boat,  which,  as  they  supposed,  must  belong  to  some 
ship  that  was  lost,  so  they  shortened  sail  to  let  me 
come  up.  I  was  encouraged  with  this ;  and  as  I  had 
my  patron's  ancient  on  board,  I  made  a  waft  of  it  to 
them  for  a  signal  of  distress,  and  fired  a  gun,  both 
which  they  saw ;  for  they  told  me  they  saw  the 
smoke,  though  they  did  not  hear  the  gun.  Upon 
these  signals  they  very  kindly  brought  to,  and  lay 
by  for  me  ;  and  in  about  three  hours'  time  I  came 
up  with  them. 

They  asked  me  what  I  was,  in  Portuguese,  and  in 
Spanish,  and  in  French,  but  I  understood  none  of 
them ;  but  at  last  a  Scots  sailor,  who  was  on  board, 
called  to  me,  and  I  answered  him,  and  told  him  I 
was  an  Englishman,  that  I  had  made  my  escape  out 
of  slavery  from  the  Moors,  at  Sallee.  Then  they 
bade  me  come  on  board,  and  very  kindly  took  me  in, 
and  all  my  goods. 

It  was  an  inexpressible  joy  to  me,  that  any  one 
will  believe,  that  I  was  thus  delivered,  as  I  esteemed 
it,  from  such  a  miserable,  and  almost  hopeless,  con- 
dition as  I  was  in ;  and  I  immediately  offered  all  I 
had  to  the  captain  of  the  ship,  as  a  return  for  my 
deliverance.  But  he  generously  told  me  he  would 
take  nothing  from  me,  but  that  all  I  had  should  be 
delivered  safe  to  me  when  I  came  to  the  Brazils. 
"  For,"  says  he,  "  I  have  saved  your  life  on  no  other 
terms  than  I  would  be  glad  to  be  saved  myself;  and 

[35] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

it  may,  one  time  or  other,  be  my  lot  to  be  taken  up 
in  the  same  condition.  Besides,"  says  he,  "  when  I 
carry  you  to  the  Brazils,  so  great  a  way  from  your 
own  country,  if  I  should  take  from  you  what  you 
have,  you  will  be  starved  there,  and  then  I  only  take 
away  that  life  I  have  given.  No,  no,  Seignior 
Inglese,"  says  he,  "  Mr.  Englishman,  I  will  carry  you 
thither  in  charity,  and  those  things  will  help  you  to 
buy  your  subsistence  there,  and  your  passage  home 
again. "" 

As  he  was  charitable  in  his  proposal,  so  he  was 
just  in  the  performance  to  a  tittle;  for  he  ordered 
the  seamen  that  none  should  offer  to  touch  anything 
I  had  ;  then  he  took  everything  into  his  own  pos- 
session, and  gave  me  back  an  exact  inventory  of 
them,  that  I  might  have  them,  even  so  much  as  my 
three  earthen  jars. 

As  to  my  boat,  it  was  a  very  good  one,  and  that 
he  saw,  and  told  me  he  would  buy  it  of  me  for  the 
ship's  use,  and  asked  me  what  I  would  have  for  it  ? 
I  told  him  he  had  been  so  generous  to  me  in  every- 
thing, that  I  could  not  offer  to  make  any  price  of 
the  boat,  but  left  it  entirely  to  him  ;  upon  which  he 
told  me  he  would  give  me  a  note  of  his  hand  to  pay 
me  eighty  pieces  of  eight  for  it  at  Brazil,  and  when 
it  came  there,  if  any  one  offered  to  give  more,  he 
would  make  it  up.  He  offered  me  also  sixty  pieces 
of  eight  more  for  my  boy  Xury,  which  I  was 
loth  to  take ;  not  that  I  was  not  willing  to  let  the 
captain  have  him,  but  I  wras  very  loth  to  sell  the  poor 
boy's  liberty,  who  had  assisted  me  so  faithfully  in 
procuring  my  own.  However,  when  I  let  him  know 
my  reason,  he  owned  it  to  be  just,  and  offered  me 
this  medium,  that  he  would  give  the  boy  an  obliga- 
tion to  set  him  free  in  ten  years  if  he  turned  Chris- 
tian. Upon  this,  and  Xury  saying  he  was  willing 
to  go  to  him,  I  let  the  captain  have  him. 

[36] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

We  had  a  very  good  voyage  to  the  Brazils,  and 
arrived  in  the  Bay  de  Todos  los  Santos,  or  All 
Saints1  Bay,  in  about  twenty -two  days  after.  And 
now  I  was  once  more  delivered  from  the  most  miser- 
able of  all  conditions  of  life  ;  and  what  to  do  next 
with  myself,  I  was  now  to  consider. 

The  generous  treatment  the  captain  gave  me,  I  can 
never  enough  remember.  He  would  take  nothing  of 
me  for  my  passage,  gave  me  twenty  ducats  for  the 
leopard's  skin,  and  forty  for  the  lion's  skin,  which  I 
had  in  my  boat,  and  caused  everything  I  had  in  the 
ship  to  be  punctually  delivered  me ;  and  what  I  was 
willing  to  sell  he  bought,  such  as  the  case  of  bottles, 
two  of  my  guns,  and  a  piece  of  the  lump  of  beeswax 
—  for  I  had  made  candles  of  the  rest ;  in  a  word,  I 
made  about  220  pieces  of  eight  of  all  my  cargo,  and 
with  this  stock  I  went  on  shore  in  the  Brazils. 

I  had  not  been  long  here,  but  being  recommended 
to  the  house  of  a  good  honest  man  like  himself,  who 
had  an  ingeino  as  they  call  it,  that  is,  a  plantation 
and  a  sugar-house,  I  lived  with  him  some  time,  and 
acquainted  myself  by  that  means  with  the  manner  of 
their  planting  and  making  of  sugar  ;  and  seeing  how 
well  the  planters  lived,  and  how  they  grew  rich 
suddenly,  I  resolved,  if  I  could  get  licence  to  settle 
there,  I  would  turn  planter  among  them,  resolving  in 
the  meantime  to  find  out  some  way  to  get  my  money 
which  I  had  left  in  London  remitted  to  me.  To  this 
purpose,  getting  a  kind  of  a  letter  of  naturalisation, 
I  purchased  as  much  land  that  was  uncured  as  my 
money  would  reach,  and  formed  a  plan  for  my  plan- 
tation and  settlement,  and  such  a  one  as  might  be 
suitable  to  the  stock  which  I  proposed  to  myself  to 
receive  from  England. 

I  had  a  neighbour,  a  Portuguese  of  Lisbon,  but 
born  of  English  parents,  whose  name  was  Wells,  and 
in  much  such  circumstances  as  I  was.    I  call  him  my 

[37] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

neighbour,  because  his  plantation  lay  next  to  mine, 
and  we  went  on  very  sociably  together.  My  stock 
was  but  low,  as  well  as  his  ;  and  we  rather  plan  ted  for 
food  than  anything  else,  for  about  two  years.  How- 
ever, we  began  to  increase,  and  our  land  began  to 
come  into  order;  so  that  the  third  year  we  planted 
some  tobacco,  and  made  each  of  us  a  large  piece  of 
ground  ready  for  planting  canes  in  the  year  to  come. 
But  we  both  wanted  help  ;  and  now  I  found,  more 
than  before,  I  had  done  wrong  in  parting  with  my 
boy  Xury. 

But  alas  !  for  me  to  do  wrong  that  never  did  right 
was  no  great  wonder.  I  had  no  remedy  but  to  go 
on.  I  was  gotten  into  an  employment  quite  remote 
to  my  genius,  and  directly  contrary  to  the  life  I 
delighted  in,  and  for  which  I  forsook  my  father's 
house,  and  broke  through  all  his  good  advice  ;  nay, 
I  was  coming  into  the  very  middle  station,  or  upper 
degree  of  low  life,  which  my  father  advised  me  to 
before;  and  which,  if  I  resolved  to  go  on  with,  I 
might  as  well  have  stayed  at  home,  and  never  have 
fatigued  myself  in  the  world  as  I  had  done.  And  I 
used  often  to  say  to  myself,  I  could  have  done  this 
as  well  in  England  among  my  friends,  as  have  gone 
5000  miles  off  to  do  it  among  strangers  and  savages, 
in  a  wilderness,  and  at  such  a  distance  as  never  to 
hear  from  any  part  of  the  world  that  had  the  least 
knowledge  of  me. 

In  this  manner  I  used  to  look  upon  my  condition 
with  the  utmost  regret.  I  had  nobody  to  converse 
with,  but  now  and  then  this  neighbour ;  no  work  to 
be  done,  but  by  the  labour  of  my  hands ;  and  I  used 
to  say,  I  lived  just  like  a  man  cast  away  upon 'some 
desolate  island,  that  had  nobody  there  but  himself. 
But  how  just  has  it  been!  and  how  should  all  men 
reflect,  that  when  they  compare  their  present  con- 
ditions with    others    that   are   worse,   Heaven    may 

[38] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

oblige  them  to  make  the  exchange,  and  be  convinced 
of  their  former  felicity  by  their  experience  ;  —  I  say, 
how  just  has  it  been,  that  the  truly  solitary  life  I 
reflected  on  in  an  island  of  mere  desolation  should 
be  my  lot,  who  had  so  often  unjustly  compared  it 
with  the  life  which  I  then  led,  in  which,  had  I  con- 
tinued, I  had  in  all  probability  been  exceeding 
prosperous   and  rich. 

I  was  in  some  degree  settled  in  my  measures  for 
carrying  on  the  plantation  before  my  kind  friend,  the 
captain  of  the  ship  that  took  me  up  at  sea,  went 
back  ;  for  the  ship  remained  there  in  providing  his 
loading,  and  preparing  for  his  voyage,  near  three 
months  ;  when,  telling  him  what  little  stock  I  had 
left  behind  me  in  London,  he  gave  me  this  friendly 
and  sincere  advice :  "  Seignior  Inglese,"  says  he,  for 
so  he  always  called  me,  "  if  you  will  give  me  letters, 
and  a  procuration  here  in  form  to  me,  with  orders 
to  the  person  who  has  your  money  in  London  to 
send  your  effects  to  Lisbon,  to  such  persons  as  I 
shall  direct,  and  in  such  goods  as  are  proper  for  this 
country,  I  will  bring  you  the  produce  of  them,  God 
willing,  at  my  return.  But  since  human  affairs  are 
all  subject  to  changes  and  disasters,  I  would  have 
you  give  orders  but  for  one  hundred  pounds  ster- 
ling, which,  you  say,  is  half  your  stock,  and  let  the 
hazard  be  run  for  the  first ;  so  that  if  it  come  safe, 
you  may  order  the  rest  the  same  way ;  and  if  it  mis- 
carry, you  may  have  the  other  half  to  have  recourse 
to  for  your  supply." 

This  was  so  wholesome  advice,  and  looked  so 
friendly,  that  I  could  not  but  be  convinced  it  was  the 
best  course  I  could  take  ;  so  I  accordingly  prepared 
letters  to  the  gentlewoman  with  whom  I  had  left  my 
money,  and  a  procuration  to  the  Portuguese  captain, 
as  he  desired. 

I  wrote  the  English  captain^s  widow  a  full  account 

[39] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

of  all  my  adventures  ;  my  slavery,  escape,  and  how  I 
had  met  with  the  Portugal  captain  at  sea,  the  human- 
ity of  his  behaviour,  and  in  what  condition  I  was  now 
in,  with  all  other  necessary  directions  for  my  supply. 
And  when  this  honest  captain  came  to  Lisbon,  he 
found  means,  by  some  of  the  English  merchants  there, 
to  send  over  not  the  order  only,  but  a  full  account 
of  my  story  to  a  merchant  at  London,  who  repre- 
sented it  effectually  to  her  ;  whereupon,  she  not  only 
delivered  the  money,  but  out  of  her  own  pocket  sent 
the  Portugal  captain  a  very  handsome  present  for  his 
humanity  and  charity  to  me. 

The  merchant  in  London  vesting  this  hundred 
pounds  in  English  goods,  such  as  the  captain  had  writ 
for,  sent  them  directly  to  him  at  Lisbon,  and  he 
brought  them  all  safe  to  me  to  the  Brazils ;  among 
which,  without  my  direction  (for  I  was  too  young  in 
my  business  to  think  of  them),  he  had  taken  care  to 
have  all  sorts  of  tools,  iron-work,  and  utensils  neces- 
sary for  my  plantation,  and  which  were  of  great  use 
to  me. 

When  this  cargo  arrived,  I  thought  my  fortune 
made,  for  I  was  surprised  with  joy  of  it ;  and  my  good 
steward,  the  captain,  had  laid  out  the  five  pounds, 
which  my  friend  had  sent  him  for  a  present  for  him- 
self, to  purchase  and  bring  me  over  a  servant  under 
bond  for  six  years1  service,  and  would  not  accept  of 
any  consideration,  except  a  little  tobacco,  which  I 
would  have  him  accept,  being  of  my  own  produce. 

Neither  was  this  all ;  but  my  goods  being  all  Eng- 
lish manufactures,  such  as  cloth,  stuffs,  baize,  and 
things  particularly  valuable  and  desirable  in  the 
country,  I  found  means  to  sell  them  to  a  very  great 
advantage ;  so  that  I  may  say  I  had  more  than  four 
times  the  value  of  my  first  cargo,  and  was  now  in- 
finitely beyond  my  poor  neighbour,  I  mean  in  the 
advancement  of  my  plantation ;  for  the  first  thing  I 

[40] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

did,  I  bought  me  a  negro  slave,  and  an  European 
servant  also  ;  I  mean  another  besides  that  which  the 
captain  brought  me  from  Lisbon. 

But  as  abused  prosperity  is  oftentimes  made  the 
very  means  of  our  greatest  adversity,  so  was  it  with 
me.  I  went  on  the  next  year  with  great  success  in 
my  plantation.  I  raised  fifty  great  rolls  of  tobacco 
on  my  own  ground,  more  than  I  had  disposed  of  for 
necessaries  among  my  neighbours ;  and  these  fifty 
rolls,  being  each  of  above  a  hundredweight,  were 
well  cured,  and  laid  by  against  the  return  of  the 
fleet  from  Lisbon.  And  now,  increasing  in  business 
and  in  wealth,  my  head  began  to  be  full  of  projects 
and  undertakings  beyond  my  reach,  such  as  are,  in- 
deed, often  the  ruin  of  the  best  heads  in  business. 

Had  I  continued  in  the  station  I  was  now  in,  I  had 
room  for  all  the  happy  things  to  have  yet  befallen  me 
for  which  my  father  so  earnestly  recommended  a  quiet, 
retired  life,  and  of  which  he  had  so  sensibly  described 
the  middle  station  of  life  to  be  full  of.  But  other 
things  attended  me,  and  I  was  still  to  be  the  wilful 
agent  of  all  my  own  miseries ;  and  particularly,  to 
increase  my  fault  and  double  the  reflections  upon  my- 
self, which  in  my  future  sorrows  I  should  have  leisure 
to  make.  All  these  miscarriages  were  procured  by 
my  apparent  obstinate  adhering  to  my  foolish  inclina- 
tion of  wandering  abroad,  and  pursuing  that  incli- 
nation in  contradiction  to  the  clearest  views  of  doing 
myself  good  in  a  fair  and  plain  pursuit  of  those  pros- 
pects, and  those  measures  of  life,  which  Nature  and 
Providence  concurred  to  present  me  with,  and  to  make 
my  duty. 

As  I  had  once  done  thus  in  my  breaking  away  from 
my  parents,  so  I  could  not  be  content  now,  but  I  must 
go  and  leave  the  happy  view  I  had  of  being  a  rich  and 
thriving  man  in  my  new  plantation,  only  to  pursue  a 
rash  a*id  immoderate  desire  of  rising  faster  than  the 

[41] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

nature  of  the  thing  admitted  ;  and  thus  I  cast  myself 
down  again  into  the  deepest  gulf  of  human  misery 
that  ever  man  fell  into,  or  perhaps  could  be  consistent 
with  life  and  a  state  of  health  in  the  world. 

To  come,  then,  by  the  just  degrees  to  the  particu- 
lars of  this  part  of  my  story.  You  may  suppose,  that 
having  now  lived  almost  four  years  in  the  Brazils,  and 
beginning  to  thrive  and  prosper  very  well  upon  my 
plantation,  I  had  not  only  learned  the  language,  but 
had  contracted  acquaintance  and  friendship  among 
my  fellow-planters,  as  well  as  among  the  merchants 
at  St.  Salvador,  which  was  our  port,  and  that  in  my 
discourses  among  them  I  had  frequently  given  them 
an  account  of  my  two  voyages  to  the  coast  of  Guinea, 
the  manner  of  trading  with  the  negroes  there,  and 
how  easy  it  was  to  purchase  upon  the  coast  for  trifles 
—  such  as  beads,  toys,  knives,  scissors,  hatchets,  bits 
of  glass,  and  the  like  —  not  only  gold-dust,  Guinea 
grains,  elephants'1  teeth,  &c,  but  negroes,  for  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Brazils,  in  great  numbers. 

They  listened  always  very  attentively  to  my  dis- 
courses on  these  heads,  but  especially  to  that  part 
which  related  to  the  buying  negroes  ;  which  was  a 
trade,  at  that  time,  not  only  not  far  entered  into,  but, 
as  far  as  it  was,  had  been  carried  on  by  the  assiento, 
or  permission,  of  the  Kings  of  Spain  and  Portugal, 
and  engrossed  in  the  public,  so  that  few  negroes  were 
brought,  and  those  excessive  dear. 

It  happened,  being  in  company  with  some  mer- 
chants and  planters  of  my  acquaintance,  and  talking 
of  those  things  very  earnestly,  three  of  them  came  to 
me  the  next  morning,  and  told  me  they  had  been  mus- 
ing very  much  upon  what  I  had  discoursed  with  them 
of,  the  last  night,  and  they  came  to  make  a  secret 
proposal  to  me.  And  after  enjoining  me  secrecy, 
they  told  me  that  they  had  a  mind  to  fit  out  a  ship 
to  go  to  Guinea  ;  that  they  had  all  plantations  as 

[42] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

well  as  I,  and  were  straitened  for  nothing  so  much  as 
servants  ;  that  as  it  was  a  trade  that  could  not  be  car- 
ried on  because  they  could  not  publicly  sell  the  negroes 
when  they  came  home,  so  they  desired  to  make  but 
one  voyage,  to  bring  the  negroes  on  shore  privately, 
and  divide  them  among  their  own  plantations  ;  and, 
in  a  word,  the  question  was,  whether  I  would  go  their 
supercargo  in  the  ship,  to  manage  the  trading  part 
upon  the  coast  of  Guinea ;  and  they  offered  me  that 
I  should  have  my  equal  share  of  the  negroes  without 
providing  any  part  of  the  stock. 

This  was  a  fair  proposal,  it  must  be  confessed,  had 
it  been  made  to  any  one  that  had  not  had  a  settle- 
ment and  plantation  of  his  own  to  look  after,  which 
was  in  a  fair  way  of  coming  to  be  very  consider- 
able, and  with  a  good  stock  upon  it.  But  for  me, 
that  was  thus  entered  and  established,  and  had 
nothing  to  do  but  go  on  as  I  had  begun,  for  three  or 
four  years  more,  and  to  have  sent  for  the  other  hun- 
dred pounds  from  England ;  and  who,  in  that  time, 
and  with  that  little  addition,  could  scarce  have  failed 
of  being  worth  three  or  four  thousand  pounds  sterling, 
and  that  increasing  too  —  for  me  to  think  of  such  a 
voyage,  was  the  most  preposterous  thing  that  ever 
man,  in  such  circumstances,  could  be  guilty  of. 

But  I,  that  was  born  to  be  my  own  destroyer, 
could  no  more  resist  the  offer  than  I  could  restrain 
my  first  rambling  designs,  when  my  father's  good 
counsel  was  lost  upon  me.  In  a  word,  I  told  them 
I  would  go  with  all  my  heart,  if  they  would  under- 
take to  look  after  my  plantation  in  my  absence,  and 
would  dispose  of  it  to  such  as  I  should  direct  if 
I  miscarried.  This  they  all  engaged  to  do,  and  en- 
tered into  writings  or  covenants  to  do  so  ;  and  I 
made  a  formal  will,  disposing  of  my  plantation  and 
effects,  in  case  of  my  death  ;  making  the  captain  of 
the  ship  that  had  saved  my  life,  as  before,  my  uni- 

[43] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

versal  heir,  but  obliging  him  to  dispose  of  my  effects 
as  I  had  directed  in  my  will ;  one-half  of  the  produce 
being  to  himself,  and  the  other  to  be  shipped  to 
England. 

In  short,  I  took  all  possible  caution  to  preserve 
my  effects,  and  keep  up  my  plantation.  Had  I 
used  half  as  much  prudence  to  have  looked  into  my 
own  interest,  and  have  made  a  judgment  of  what 
I  ought  to  have  done  and  not  to  have  done,  I 
had  certainly  never  gone  away  from  so  prosperous 
an  undertaking,  leaving  all  the  probable  views  of  a 
thriving  circumstance,  and  gone  upon  a  voyage  to 
sea,  attended  with  all  its  common  hazards,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  reasons  I  had  to  expect  particular 
misfortunes  to  myself. 

But  I  was  hurried  on,  and  obeyed  blindly  the 
dictates  of  my  fancy  rather  than  my  reason.  And 
accordingly,  the  ship  being  fitted  out,  and  the  cargo 
furnished,  and  all  things  done  as  by  agreement  by 
my  partners  in  the  voyage,  I  went  on  board  in  an 
evil  hour,  the  [first]  of  [September  1659],  being  the 
same  day  eight  year  that  I  went  from  my  father  and 
mother  at  Hull,  in  order  to  act  the  rebel  to  their 
authority,  and  the  fool  to  my  own  interest. 

Our  ship  was  about  120  tons  burthen,  carried  six 
guns  and  fourteen  men,  besides  the  master,  his  boy, 
and  myself.  We  had  on  board  no  large  cargo  of 
goods,  except  of  such  toys  as  were  fit  for  our  trade 
with  the  negroes  —  such  as  beads,  bits  of  glass, 
shells,  and  odd  trifles,  especially  little  looking-glasses, 
knives,  scissors,  hatchets,  and  the  like. 

The  same  day  I  went  on  board  we  set  sail,  stand- 
ing away  to  the  northward  upon  our  own  coast,  with 
design  to  stretch  over  for  the  African  coast,  when 
they  came  about  10  or  12  degrees  of  northern 
latitude,  which,  it  seems,  was  the  manner  of  their 
course  in  those  days.     We  had  very  good  weather, 

[44] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

only  excessive  hot,  all  the  way  upon  our  own  coast, 
till  we  came  the  height  of  Cape  St.  Augustino,  from 
whence,  keeping  farther  off  at  sea,  we  lost  sight  of 
land,  and  steered  as  if  we  was  bound  for  the  Isle 
Fernando  de  Noronha,  holding  our  course  NE.  by 
N.,  and  leaving  those  isles  on  the  east.  In  this 
course  we  passed  the  line  in  about  twelve  days1 
time,  and  were,  by  our  last  observation,  in  7  degrees 
22  minutes  northern  latitude,  when  a  violent  tornado, 
or  hurricane,  took  us  quite  out  of  our  knowledge. 
It  began  from  the  south-east,  came  about  to  the 
north-west,  and  then  settled  into  the  north-east, 
from  whence  it  blew  in  such  a  terrible  manner,  that 
for  twelve  days  together  we  could  do  nothing  but 
drive,  and,  scudding  away  before  it,  let  it  carry  us 
wherever  fate  and  the  fury  of  the  winds  directed  : 
and  during  these  twelve  days,  I  need  not  say  that  I 
expected  every  day  to  be  swallowed  up,  nor,  indeed, 
did  any  in  the  ship  expect  to  save  their  lives. 

In  this  distress  we  had,  besides  the  terror  of  the 
storm,  one  of  our  men  died  of  the  calenture,  and 
one  man  and  the  boy  washed  overboard.  About  the 
twelfth  day,  the  weather  abating  a  little,  the  master 
made  an  observation  as  well  as  he  could,  and  found 
that  he  was  in  about  11  degrees  north  latitude,  but 
that  he  was  22  degrees  of  longitude  difference  west 
from  Cape  St.  Augustino  ;  so  that  he  found  he  was 
gotten  upon  the  coast  of  Guiana,  or  the  north  part 
of  Brazil,  beyond  the  river  Amazon,  toward  that  of 
the  river  Orinoco,  commonly  called  the  Great  River, 
and  began  to  consult  with  me  what  course  he  should 
take,  for  the  ship  was  leaky  and  very  much  disabled, 
and  he  was  going  directly  back  to  the  coast  of 
Brazil. 

I  was  positively  against  that ;  and  looking  over 
the  charts  of  the  sea-coast  of  America  with  him,  we 
concluded  there  was  no  inhabited  country  for  us  to 

[45] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

have  recourse  to  till  we  came  within  the  circle  of 
the  Carribbee  Islands,  and  therefore  resolved  to 
stand  away  for  Barbadoes,  which  by  keeping  off  at 
sea,  to  avoid  the  indraft  of  the  Bay  or  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  we  might  easily  perform,  as  we  hoped,  in 
about  fifteen  days1  sail ;  whereas  we  could  not 
possibly  make  our  voyage  to  the  coast  of  Africa 
without  some  assistance,  both  to  our  ship  and  to 
ourselves. 

With  this  design  we  changed  our  course,  and 
steered  away  NW.  by  W.  in  order  to  reach  some  of 
our  English  islands,  where  I  hoped  for  relief;  but 
our  voyage  was  otherwise  determined  ;  for  being  in 
the  latitude  of  12  degrees  18  minutes,  a  second 
storm  came  upon  us,  which  carried  us  away  with  the 
same  impetuosity  westward,  and  drove  us  so  out  of 
the  very  way  of  all  human  commerce,  that  had  all 
our  lives  been  saved,  as  to  the  sea,  we  were  rather 
in  danger  of  being  devoured  by  savages  than  ever 
returning  to  our  own  country. 

In  this  distress,  the  wind  still  blowing  very  hard, 
one  of  our  men  early  in  the  morning  cried  out, 
"  Land  !  "  and  we  had  no  sooner  ran  out  of  the 
cabin  to  look  out,  in  hopes  of  seeing  whereabouts  in 
the  world  we  were,  but  the  ship  struck  upon  a  sand, 
and  in  a  moment,  her  motion  being  so  stopped,  the 
sea  broke  over  her  in  such  a  manner,  that  we  ex- 
pected we  should  all  have  perished  immediately ; 
and  we  were  immediately  driven  into  our  close 
quarters,  to  shelter  us  from  the  very  foam  and  spray 
of  the  sea. 

It  is  not  easy  for  any  one,  who  has  not  been  in 
the  like  condition,  to  describe  or  conceive  the  con- 
sternation of  men  in  such  circumstances.  We  knew 
nothing  where  we  were,  or  upon  what  land  it  was 
we  were  driven,  whether  an  island  or  the  main, 
whether   inhabited    or    not    inhabited  ;   and  as    the 

[46] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

rage  of  the  wind  was  still  great,  though  rather  less 
than  at  first,  we  could  not  so  much  as  hope  to  have 
the  ship  hold  many  minutes  without  breaking  in 
pieces,  unless  the  winds,  by  a  kind  of  miracle,  should 
turn  immediately  about.  In  a  word,  we  sat  look- 
ing one  upon  another,  and  expecting  death  every 
moment,  and  every  man  acting  accordingly,  as  pre- 
paring for  another  world ;  for  there  was  little  or 
nothing  more  for  us  to  do  in  this.  That  which  was 
our  present  comfort,  and  all  the  comfort  we  had, 
was  that,  contrary  to  our  expectation,  the  ship  did 
not  break  yet,  and  that  the  master  said  the  wind 
began  to  abate. 

Now,  though  we  thought  that  the  wind  did  a 
little  abate,  yet  the  ship  having  thus  struck  upon 
the  sand,  and  sticking  too  fast  for  us  to  expect  her 
getting  off,  we  were  in  a  dreadful  condition  indeed, 
and  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  think  of  saving  our 
lives  as  well  as  we  could.  We  had  a  boat  at  our 
stern  just  before  the  storm,  but  she  was  first  staved 
by  dashing  against  the  ship's  rudder,  and  in  the 
next  place,  she  broke  away,  and  either  sunk,  or  was 
driven  off'  to  sea,  so  there  was  no  hope  from  her ; 
we  had  another  boat  on  board,  but  how  to  get  her 
off  into  the  sea  was  a  doubtful  thing.  However, 
there  was  no  room  to  debate,  for  we  fancied  the  ship 
would  break  in  pieces  every  minute,  and  some  told 
us  she  was  actually  broken  already. 

In  this  distress,  the  mate  of  our  vessel  lays  hold  of 
the  boat,  and  with  the  help  of  the  rest  of  the  men 
they  got  her  slung  over  the  ship's  side ;  and  getting 
all  into  her,  let  go,  and  committed  ourselves,  being 
eleven  in  number,  to  God's  mercy,  and  the  wild  sea ; 
for  though  the  storm  was  abated  considerably,  yet 
the  sea  went  dreadful  high  upon  the  shore,  and 
might  well  be  called  den  wild  zee,  as  the  Dutch  call 
the  sea  in  a  storm. 

[47] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

And  now  our  case  was  very  dismal  indeed,  for  we 
all  saw  plainly  that  the  sea  went  so  high,  that  the 
boat  could  not  live,  and  that  we  should  be  inevit- 
ably drowned.  As  to  making  sail,  we  had  none  ;  nor, 
if  we  had,  could  we  have  done  anything  with  it ;  so 
we  worked  at  the  oar  towards  the  land,  though  with 
heavy  hearts,  like  men  going  to  execution,  for  we  all 
knew  that  when  the  boat  came  nearer  the  shore,  she 
would  be  dashed  in  a  thousand  pieces  by  the  breach 
of  the  sea.  However,  we  committed  our  souls  to 
God  in  the  most  earnest  manner ;  and  the  wind  driv- 
ing us  towards  the  shore,  we  hastened  our  destruction 
with  our  own  hands,  pulling  as  well  as  we  could 
towards  land. 

What  the  shore  was,  whether  rock  or  sand,  whether 
steep  or  shoal,  we  knew  not ;  the  only  hope  that 
could  rationally  give  us  the  least  shadow  of  expecta- 
tion was,  if  we  might  happen  into  some  bay  or  gulf, 
or  the  mouth  of  some  river,  where  by  great  chance 
we  might  have  run  our  boat  in,  or  got  under  the 
lee  of  the  land,  and  perhaps  made  smooth  water. 
But  there  was  nothing  of  this  appeared ;  but  as  we 
made  nearer  and  nearer  the  shore,  the  land  looked 
more  frightful  than  the  sea. 

After  we  had  rowed,  or  rather  driven,  about  a 
league  and  a  half,  as  we  reckoned  it,  a  raging  wave, 
mountain-like,  came  rolling  astern  of  us,  and  plainly 
bade  us  expect  the  coup  de  gi~ace.  In  a  word,  it 
took  us  with  such  a  fury,  that  it  overset  the  boat  at 
once  ;  and  separating  us,  as  well  from  the  boat  as 
from  one  another,  gave  us  not  time  hardly  to  say, 
"  O  God ! "  for  we  were  all  swallowed  up  in  a 
moment. 

Nothing  can  describe  the  confusion  of  thought 
which  I  felt  when  I  sunk  into  the  water ;  for  though 
I  swam  very  well,  yet  I  could  not  deliver  myself  from 
the  waves  so  as  to  draw  breath,  till  that  wave  hav- 

[48] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

ing  driven  me,  or  rather  carried  me,  a  vast  way  on 
towards  the  shore,  and  having  spent  itself,  went  back, 
and  left  me  upon  the  land  almost  dry,  but  half  dead 
with  the  water  I  took  in.  I  had  so  much  presence 
of  mind,  as  well  as  breath  left,  that  seeing  myself 
nearer  the  mainland  than  I  expected,  I  got  upon  my 
feet,  and  endeavoured  to  make  on  towards  the  land 
as  fast  as  I  could,  before  another  wave  should  return 
and  take  me  up  again.  But  I  soon  found  it  was  im- 
possible to  avoid  it ;  for  I  saw  the  sea  come  after  me 
as  high  as  a  great  hill,  and  as  furious  as  an  enemy, 
which  I  had  no  means  or  strength  to  contend  with. 
My  business  was  to  hold  my  breath,  and  raise  myself 
upon  the  water,  if  I  could  ;  and  so,  by  swimming,  to 
preserve  my  breathing,  and  pilot  myself  towards  the 
shore,  if  possible ;  my  greatest  concern  now  being, 
that  the  sea,  as  it  would  carry  me  a  great  way 
towards  the  shore  when  it  came  on,  might  not  carry 
me  back  again  with  it  when  it  gave  back  towards 
the  sea. 

The  wave  that  came  upon  me  again,  buried  me  at 
once  20  or  30  feet  deep  in  its  own  body,  and  I 
could  feel  myself  carried  with  a  mighty  force  and  swift- 
ness towards  the  shore  a  very  great  way ;  but  I  held 
my  breath,  and  assisted  myself  to  swim  still  forward 
with  all  my  might.  I  was  ready  to  burst  with  hold- 
ing my  breath,  when,  as  I  felt  myself  rising  up,  so, 
to  my  immediate  relief,  I  found  my  head  and  hands 
shoot  out  above  the  surface  of  the  water  ;  and  though 
it  was  not  two  seconds  of  time  that  I  could  keep 
myself  so,  yet  it  relieved  me  greatly,  gave  me  breath 
and  new  courage.  I  was  covered  again  with  water  a 
good  while,  but  not  so  long  but  I  held  it  out ;  and 
finding  the  water  had  spent  itself,  and  began  to  re- 
turn, I  struck  forward  against  the  return  of  the 
waves,  and  felt  ground  again  with  my  feet.  I  stood 
still  a  few  moments  to  recover  breath,  and  till  the 
VOL.  I. —4  [  49  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

water  went  from  me,  and  then  took  to  my  heels  and 
ran  with  what  strength  I  had  farther  towards  the 
shore.  But  neither  would  this  deliver  me  from  the 
fury  of  the  sea,  which  came  pouring  in  after  me 
again,  and  twice  more  I  was  lifted  up  by  the  waves 
and  carried  forwards  as  before,  the  shore  being  very 
flat. 

The  last  time  of  these  two  had  well  near  been 
fatal  to  me  ;  for  the  sea,  having  hurried  me  along  as 
before,  landed  me,  or  rather  dashed  me,  against  a 
piece  of  a  rock,  and  that  with  such  force,  as  it  left  me 
senseless,  and  indeed  helpless,  as  to  my  own  deliver- 
ance ;  for  the  blow  taking  my  side  and  breast,  beat 
the  breath  as  it  were  quite  out  of  my  body  ;  and  had 
it  returned  again  immediately,  I  must  have  been 
strangled  in  the  water.  But  I  recovered  a  little  be- 
fore the  return  of  the  waves,  and  seeing  I  should  be 
covered  again  with  the  water,  I  resolved  to  hold  fast 
by  a  piece  of  the  rock,  and  so  to  hold  my  breath,  if 
possible,  till  the  wave  went  back.  Now  as  the 
waves  were  not  so  high  as  at  first,  being  near  land,  I 
held  my  hold  till  the  wave  abated,  and  then  fetched 
another  run,  which  brought  me  so  near  the  shore, 
that  the  next  wave,  though  it  went  over  me,  yet  did 
not  so  swallow  me  up  as  to  carry  me  away,  and  the 
next  run  I  took  I  got  to  the  mainland,  where,  to  my 
great  comfort,  I  clambered  up  the  cliffs  of  the  shore, 
and  sat  me  down  upon  the  grass,  free  from  danger, 
and  quite  out  of  the  reach  of  the  water. 

I  was  now  landed,  and  safe  on  shore,  and  began  to 
look  up  and  thank  God  that  my  life  was  saved  in  a 
case  wherein  there  was  some  minutes  before  scarce 
any  room  to  hope.  I  believe  it  is  impossible  to  ex- 
press to  the  life  what  the  ecstasies  and  transports  of 
the  soul  are  when  it  is  so  saved,  as  I  may  say,  out  of 
the  very  grave  ;  and  I  do  not  wonder  now  at  that 
custom,  viz.,  that  when  a  malefactor,  who  has  the 

[50] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

halter  about  his  neck,  is  tied  up,  and  just  going  to 
be  turned  off,  and  has  a  reprieve  brought  to  him  —  I 
say,  I  do  not  wonder  that  they  bring  a  surgeon  with 
it,  to  let  him  blood  that  very  moment  they  tell  him 
of  it,  that  the  surprise  may  not  drive  the  animal 
spirits  from  the  heart,  and  overwhelm  him : 

"  For  sudden  joys,  like  griefs,  confound  at  first." 

I  walked  about  on  the  shore,  lifting  up  my  hands, 
and  my  whole  being,  as  I  may  say,  wrapt  up  in  the 
contemplation  of  ray  deliverance,  making  a  thousand 
gestures  and  motions  which  I  cannot  describe,  reflect- 
ing upon  all  my  comrades  that  were  drowned,  and 
that  there  should  not  be  one  soul  saved  but  myself ; 
for,  as  for  them,  I  never  saw  them  afterwards,  or  any 
sign  of  them,  except  three  of  their  hats,  one  cap, 
and  two  shoes  that  were  not  fellows. 

I  cast  my  eyes  to  the  stranded  vessel,  when  the 
breach  and  froth  of  the  sea  being  so  big,  I  could 
hardly  see  it,  it  lay  so  far  off,  and  considered,  Lord  ! 
how  was  it  possible  I  could  get  on  shore  ? 

After  I  had  solaced  my  mind  with  the  comfortable 
part  of  my  condition,  I  began  to  look  round  me  to 
see  what  kind  of  place  I  was  in,  and  what  was  next 
to  be  done,  and  I  soon  found  my  comforts  abate,  and 
that,  in  a  word,  I  had  a  dreadful  deliverance  ;  for  I 
was  wet,  had  no  clothes  to  shift  me,  nor  anything 
either  to  eat  or  drink  to  comfort  me,  neither  did  I 
see  any  prospect  before  me  but  that  of  perishing 
with  hunger,  or  being  devoured  by  wild  beasts  ;  and 
that  which  was  particularly  afflicting  to  me  was,  that 
I  had  no  weapon  either  to  hunt  and  kill  any  creature 
for  my  sustenance,  or  to  defend  myself  against  any 
other  creature  that  might  desire  to  kill  me  for  theirs. 
In  a  word,  I  had  nothing  about  me  but  a  knife,  a 
tobacco-pipe,  and  a  little  tobacco  in  a  box.  This 
was  all  my  provision ;  and  this  threw  me  into  ter- 

[51] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

rible  agonies  of  mind,  that  for  a  while  I  ran  about 
like  a  madman.  Night  coming  upon  me,  I  began, 
with  a  heavy  heart,  to  consider  what  would  be  my 
lot  if  there  were  any  ravenous  beasts  in  that  country, 
seeing  at  night  they  always  come  abroad  for  their 
prey. 

All  the  remedy  that  offered  to  my  thoughts  at  that 
time  was,  to  get  up  into  a  thick  bushy  tree  like  a  fir, 
but  thorny,  which  grew  near  me,  and  where  I  resolved 
to  sit  all  night,  and  consider  the  next  day  what  death 
I  should  die,  for  as  yet  I  saw  no  prospect  of  life.  I 
walked  about  a  furlong  from  the  shore,  to  see  if  I 
could  find  any  fresh  water  to  drink,  which  I  did,  to 
my  great  joy  ;  and  having  drank,  and  put  a  little 
tobacco  in  my  mouth  to  prevent  hunger,  I  went  to 
the  tree,  and  getting  up  into  it,  endeavoured  to  place 
myself  so,  as  that  if  I  should  sleep  I  might  not  fall  ; 
and  having  cut  me  a  short  stick,  like  a  truncheon, 
for  my  defence,  I  took  up  my  lodging,  and  having 
been  excessively  fatigued,  I  fell  fast  asleep,  and  slept 
as  comfortably  as,  I  believe,  few  could  have  done  in 
my  condition,  and  found  myself  the  most  refreshed 
with  it  that  I  think  I  ever  was  on  such  an  occasion. 

When  I  waked  it  was  broad  day,  the  weather  clear, 
and  the  storm  abated,  so  that  the  sea  did  not  rage 
and  swell  as  before.  But  that  which  surprised  me 
most  was,  that  the  ship  was  lifted  off  in  the  night 
from  the  sand  where  she  lay,  by  the  swelling  of  the 
tide,  and  was  driven  up  almost  as  far  as  the  rock 
which  I  first  mentioned,  where  I  had  been  so  bruised 
by  the  dashing  me  against  it.  This  being  within 
about  a  mile  from  the  shore  where  I  was,  and  the 
ship  seeming  to  stand  upright  still,  I  wished  myself 
on  board,  that,  at  least,  I  might  have  some  necessary 
things  for  my  use. 

When  I  came  down  from  my  apartment  in  the 
tree  I  looked  about  me  again,  and  the  first  thing  I 

[  52  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

found  was  the  boat,  which  lay  as  the  wind  and  the 
sea  had  tossed  her  upon  the  land,  about  two  miles 
on  my  right  hand.  I  walked  as  far  as  I  could  upon 
the  shore  to  have  got  to  her,  but  found  a  neck  or 
inlet  of  water  between  me  and  the  boat,  which  was 
about  half  a  mile  broad;  so  I  came  back  for  the 
present,  being  more  intent  upon  getting  at  the  ship, 
where  I  hoped  to  find  something  for  my  present 
subsistence. 

A  little  after  noon  I  found  the  sea  very  calm,  and 
the  tide  ebbed  so  far  out,  that  I  could  come  within 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  ship  ;  and  here  I  found  a 
fresh  renewing  of  my  grief,  for  I  saw  evidently,  that 
if  we  had  kept  on  board  we  had  been  all  safe,  that  is 
to  say,  we  had  all  got  safe  on  shore,  and  I  had  not 
been  so  miserable  as  to  be  left  entirely  destitute  of 
all  comfort  and  company,  as  I  now  was.  This  forced 
tears  from  my  eyes  again  ;  but  as  there  was  little 
relief  in  that,  I  resolved,  if  possible,  to  get  to  the 
ship  ;  so  I  pulled  off  my  clothes,  for  the  weather  was 
hot  to  extremity,  and  took  the  water.  But  when  I 
came  to  the  ship,  my  difficulty  was  still  greater  to 
know  how  to  get  on  board  ;  for  as  she  lay  aground, 
and  high  out  of  the  water,  there  was  nothing  within 
my  reach  to  lay  hold  of.  I  swam  round  her  twice, 
and  the  second  time  I  spied  a  small  piece  of  a  rope, 
which  I  wondered  I  did  not  see  at  first,  hang  down 
by  the  fore-chains  so  low,  as  that  with  great  difficulty 
I  got  hold  of  it,  and  by  the  help  of  that  rope  got  up 
into  the  forecastle  of  the  ship.  Here  I  found  that 
the  ship  was  bulged,  and  had  a  great  deal  of  water 
in  her  hold,  but  that  she  lay  so  on  the  side  of  a 
bank  of  hard  sand,  or  rather  earth,  that  her  stern 
lay  lifted  up  upon  the  bank,  and  her  head  low  almost 
to  the  water.  By  this  means  all  her  quarter  was 
free,  and  all  that  was  in  that  part  was  dry  ;  for  you 
may  be  sure  my  first  work  was  to  search  and  to  see 

[53] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

what  was  spoiled  and  what  was  free.  And  first  I 
found  that  all  the  ship's  provisions  were  dry  and  un- 
touched by  the  water  ;  and  being  very  well  disposed  to 
eat,  I  went  to  the  bread-room  and  filled  my  pockets 
with  biscuit,  and  eat  it  as  I  went  about  other  things, 
for  I  had  no  time  to  lose.  I  also  found  some  rum 
in  the  great  cabin,  of  which  I  took  a  large  dram,  and 
which  I  had  indeed  need  enough  of  to  spirit  me  for 
what  was  before  me.  Now  I  wanted  nothing  but  a 
boat,  to  furnish  myself  with  many  things  which  I 
foresaw  would  be  very  necessary  to  me. 

It  was  in  vain  to  sit  still  and  wish  for  what  was 
not  to  be  had,  and  this  extremity  roused  my  applica- 
tion. We  had  several  spare  yards,  and  two  or  three 
large  spars  of  wood,  and  a  spare  top- mast  or  two  in 
the  ship.  I  resolved  to  fall  to  work  with  these,  and 
flung  as  many  of  them  overboard  as  I  could  manage 
for  their  weight,  tying  every  one  with  a  rope,  that 
they  might  not  drive  away.  When  this  was  done  I 
went  down  the  ship's  side,  and,  pulling  them  to  me, 
I  tied  four  of  them  fast  together  at  both  ends  as  well 
as  I  could,  in  the  form  of  a  raft ;  and  laying  two  or 
three  short  pieces  of  plank  upon  them  crossways,  I 
found  I  could  walk  upon  it  very  well,  but  that  it  was 
not  able  to  bear  any  great  weight,  the  pieces  being 
too  light.  So  I  went  to  work,  and  with  the  carpen- 
ter's saw  I  cut  a  spare  top-mast  into  three  lengths, 
and  added  them  to  my  raft,  with  a  great  deal  of 
labour  and  pains  ;  but  hope  of  furnishing  myself  with 
necessaries  encouraged  me  to  go  beyond  what  I  should 
have  been  able  to  have  done  upon  another  occasion. 

My  raft  was  now  strong  enough  to  bear  any  reason- 
able weight.  My  next  care  was  what  to  load  it  with, 
and  how  to  preserve  what  I  laid  upon  it  from  the 
surf  of  the  sea  ;  but  I  was  not  long  considering  this. 
I  first  laid  all  the  planks  or  boards  upon  it  that  I 
could  get,  and  having  considered  well  what  I  most 

[54] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

wanted,  I  first  got  three  of  the  seamen's  chests,  which 
I  had  broken  open  and  emptied,  and  lowered  them 
down  upon  my  raft.  The  first  of  these  I  filled  with 
provisions,  viz.,  bread,  rice,  three  Dutch  cheeses,  five 
pieces  of  dried  goat's  flesh,  which  we  lived  much 
upon,  and  a  little  remainder  of  European  corn,  which 
had  been  laid  by  for  some  fowls  which  we  brought 
to  sea  with  us,  but  the  fowls  were  killed.  There  had 
been  some  barley  and  wheat  together,  but,  to  my 
great  disappointment,  I  found  afterwards  that  the 
rats  had  eaten  or  spoiled  it  all.  As  for  liquors,  I 
,  found  several  cases  of  bottles  belonging  to  our  skip- 
per, in  which  were  some  cordial  waters,  and,  in  all, 
about  five  or  six  gallons  of  rack.  These  I  stowed  bv 
themselves,  there  being  no  need  to  put  them  into  the 
chest,  nor  no  room  for  them.  While  I  wras  doing 
this,  I  found  the  tide  began  to  flow,  though  very 
calm,  and  I  had  the  mortification  to  see  my  coat, 
shirt,  and  waistcoat,  which  I  had  left  on  shore  upon 
the  sand,  swim  away ;  as  for  my  breeches,  which  were 
only  linen,  and  open-kneed,  I  swam  on  board  in 
them,  and  my  stockings.  However,  this  put  me 
upon  rummaging  for  clothes,  of  which  I  found 
enough,  but  took  no  more  than  I  wanted  for  present 
use ;  for  I  had  other  things  which  my  eye  was  more 
upon,  as  first  tools  to  work  with  on  shore  ;  and  it 
was  after  long  searching  that  I  found  out  the  car- 
penter's chest,  which  was  indeed  a  very  useful  prize 
to  me,  and  much  more  valuable  than  a  ship-loading 
of  gold  would  have  been  at  that  time.  I  got  it 
down  to  my  raft,  even  whole  as  it  was,  without  losing 
time  to  look  into  it,  for  I  knew  in  general  what  it 
contained. 

My  next  care  was  for  some  ammunition  and  arms ; 
there  were  two  very  good  fowling-pieces  in  the  great 
cabin,  and  two  pistols ;  these  I  secured  first,  with 
some  powder-horns,  and  a  small  bag  of  shot,  and 

[55] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

two  old  rusty  swords.  I  knew  there  were  three 
barrels  of  powder  in  the  ship,  but  knew  not  where 
our  gunner  had  stowed  them  ;  but  with  much  search 
I  found  them,  two  of  them  dry  and  good,  the  third 
had  taken  water ;  those  two  I  got  to  my  raft  with 
the  arms.  And  now  I  thought  myself  pretty  well 
freighted,  and  began  to  think  how  I  should  get  to 
shore  with  them,  having  neither  sail,  oar,  or  rudder  ; 
and  the  least  capful  of  wind  would  have  overset  all 
my  navigation. 

I  had  three  encouragements.  1.  A  smooth,  calm 
sea.  2.  The  tide  rising  and  setting  in  to  the  shore. 
3.  What  little  wind  there  was  blew  me  towards  the 
land.  And  thus,  having  found  two  or  three  broken 
oars  belonging  to  the  boat,  and  besides  the  tools 
which  were  in  the  chest,  I  found  two  saws,  an  axe, 
and  a  hammer,  and  with  this  cargo  I  put  to  sea. 
For  a  mile  or  thereabouts  my  raft  went  very  wrell, 
only  that  I  found  it  drive  a  little  distant  from  the 
place  where  I  had  landed  before,  by  which  I  perceived 
that  there  was  some  indraft  of  the  water,  and  conse- 
quently I  hoped  to  find  some  creek  or  river  there, 
which  I  might  make  use  of  as  a  port  to  get  to  land 
with  my  cargo. 

As  I  imagined,  so  it  was  ;  there  appeared  before 
me  a  little  opening  of  the  land,  and  I  found  a  strong 
current  of  the  tide  set  into  it,  so  I  guided  my  raft 
as  well  as  I  could  to  keep  in  the  middle  of  the  stream. 
But  here  I  had  like  to  have  suffered  a  second  ship- 
wreck, which,  if  I  had,  I  think  verily  would  have 
broke  my  heart ;  for  knowing  nothing  of  the  coast, 
my  raft  ran  aground  at  one  end  of  it  upon  a  shoal, 
and  not  being  aground  at  the  other  end,  it  wanted 
but  a  little  that  all  my  cargo  had  slipped  off  towards 
that  end  that  was  afloat,  and  so  fallen  into  the  water. 
I  did  my  utmost  by  setting  my  back  against  the 
chests  to  keep  them  in  their  places,  but  could  not 

[56] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

thrust  off  the  raft  with  all  my  strength,  neither 
durst  I  stir  from  the  posture  I  was  in,  but  holding 
up  the  chests  with  all  my  might,  stood  in  that 
manner  near  half-an-hour,  in  which  time  the  rising 
of  the  water  brought  me  a  little  more  upon  a  level ; 
and  a  little  after,  the  water  still  rising,  my  raft 
floated  again,  and  I  thrust  her  off  with  the  oar  I  had 
into  the  channel,  and  then  driving  up  higher,  I  at 
length  found  myself  in  the  mouth  of  a  little  river, 
with  land  on  both  sides,  and  a  strong  current  or  tide 
running  up.  I  looked  on  both  sides  for  a  proper 
place  to  get  to  shore,  for  I  was  not  willing  to  be 
driven  too  high  up  the  river,  hoping  in  time  to  see 
some  ship  at  sea,  and  therefore  resolved  to  place 
myself  as  near  the  coast   as  I  could. 

At  length  I  spied  a  little  cove  on  the  right  shore 
of  the  creek,  to  which,  with  great  pain  and  difficulty, 
I  guided  my  raft,  and  at  last  got  so  near,  as  that, 
reaching  ground  with  my  oar,  I  could  thrust  her 
directly  in  ;  but  here  I  had  like  to  have  dipped  all 
my  cargo  in  the  sea  again  ;  for  that  shore  lying 
pretty  steep,  that  is  to  say,  sloping,  there  was  no 
place  to  land  but  where  one  end  of  my  float,  if  it 
run  on  shore,  would  lie  so  high  and  the  other  sink 
lower,  as  before,  that  it  would  endanger  my  cargo 
again.  All  that  I  could  do  was  to  wait  till  the  tide 
was  at  the  highest,  keeping  the  raft  with  my  oar 
like  an  anchor  to  hold  the  side  of  it  fast  to  the 
shore,  near  a  flat  piece  of  ground,  which  I  expected 
the  water  would  flow  over ;  and  so  it  did.  As  soon 
as  I  found  water  enough,  for  my  raft  drew  about  a 
foot  of  water,  I  thrust  her  on  upon  that  flat  piece  of 
ground,  and  there  fastened  or  moored  her  by  sticking 
my  two  broken  oars  into  the  ground ;  one  on  one  side 
near  one  end,  and  one  on  the  other  side  near  the 
other  end ;  and  thus  I  lay  till  the  water  ebbed  away, 
and  left  my  raft  and  all  my  cargo  safe  on  shore. 

[57] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

My  next  work  was  to  view  the  country  and  seek  a 
proper  place  for  my  habitation,  and  where  to  stow 
my  goods  to  secure  them  from  whatever  might  happen. 
Where  I  was,  I  yet  knew  not ;  whether  on  the  conti- 
nent, or  on  an  island  ;  whether  inhabited,  or  not  in- 
habited ;  whether  in  danger  of  wild  beasts,  or  not. 
There  was  a  hill,  not  above  a  mile  from  me,  which 
rose  up  very  steep  and  high,  and  which  seemed  to 
overtop  some  other  hills,  which  lay  as  in  a  ridge 
from  it,  northward.  I  took  out  one  of  the  fowling- 
pieces  and  one  of  the  pistols,  and  a  horn  of  powder ; 
and  thus  armed,  I  travelled  for  discovery  up  to  the 
top  of  that  hill,  where,  after  I  had  with  great  labour 
and  difficulty  got  to  the  top,  I  saw  my  fate  to  my 
great  affliction,  viz.,  that  I  was  in  an  island  environed 
every  way  with  the  sea,  no  land  to  be  seen,  except 
some  rocks  which  lay  a  great  way  off,  and  two  small 
islands  less  than  this,  which  lay  about  three  leagues 
to  the  west. 

I  found  also  that  the  island  I  was  in  was  barren, 
and,  as  I  saw  good  reason  to  believe,  uninhabited, 
except  by  wild  beasts,  of  whom,  however,  I  saw 
none ;  yet  I  saw  abundance  of  fowls,  but  knew  not 
their  kinds ;  neither,  when  I  killed  them,  could  I 
tell  what  was  fit  for  food,  and  what  not.  At  my 
coming  back,  I  shot  at  a  great  bird  which  I  saw 
sitting  upon  a  tree  on  the  side  of  a  great  wood.  I 
believe  it  was  the  first  gun  that  had  been  fired  there 
since  the  creation  of  the  world.  I  had  no  sooner 
fired,  but  from  all  the  parts  of  the  wood  there  arose  an 
innumerable  number  of  fowls  of  many  sorts,  making 
a  confused  screaming,  and  crying  every  one  accord- 
ing to  his  usual  note  ;  but  not  one  of  them  of  any 
kind  that  I  knew.  As  for  the  creature  I  killed,  I 
took  it  to  be  a  kind  of  a  hawk,  its  colour  and  beak 
resembling  it,  but  had  no  talons  or  claws  more  than 
common  ;  its  flesh  was  carrion,  and  fit  for  nothing. 

[58] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

Contented  with  this  discovery,  I  came  back  to  my 
raft,  and  fell  to  work  to  bring  my  cargo  on  shore, 
which  took  me  up  the  rest  of  that  day  ;  and  what  to 
do  with  myself  at  night,  I  knew  not,  nor  indeed 
where  to  rest ;  for  I  was  afraid  to  lie  down  on  the 
ground,  not  knowing  but  some  wild  beast  might 
devour  me,  though,  as  I  afterwards  found,  there  was 
really  no  need  for  those  fears.  However,  as  well  as 
I  could,  I  barricaded  myself  round  with  the  chests 
and  boards  that  I  had  brought  on  shore,  and  made 
a  kind  of  a  hut  for  that  night's  lodging ;  as  for  food, 
I  yet  saw  not  which  way  to  supply  myself,  except 
that  I  had  seen  two  or  three  creatures  like  hares 
run  out  of  the  wood  where  I  shot  the  fowl. 

I  now  began  to  consider,  that  I  might  yet  get  a 
great  many  things  out  of  the  ship,  which  would  be 
useful  to  me,  and  particularly  some  of  the  rigging 
and  sails,  and  such  other  things  as  might  come  to 
land ;  and  I  resolved  to  make  another  voyage  on 
board  the  vessel,  if  possible.  And  as  I  knew  that 
the  first  storm  that  blew  must  necessarily  break  her 
all  in  pieces,  I  resolved  to  set  all  other  things  apart 
till  I  got  everything  out  of  the  ship  that  I  could  get. 
Then  I  called  a  council,  that  is  to  say,  in  my  thoughts, 
whether  I  should  take  back  the  raft,  but  this  appeared 
impracticable ;  so  I  resolved  to  go  as  before,  when 
the  tide  was  down  ;  and  I  did  so,  only  that  I  stripped 
before  I  went  from  my  hut,  having  nothing  on  but 
a  chequered  shirt  and  a  pair  of  linen  drawers,  and  a 
pair  of  pumps  on  my  feet. 

I  got  on  board  the  ship  as  before,  and  prepared 
a  second  raft,  and  having  had  experience  of  the 
first,  I  neither  made  this  so  unwieldy,  nor  loaded 
it  so  hard ;  but  yet  I  brought  away  several  things 
very  useful  to  me  ;  as,  first,  in  the  carpenter's  stores 
I  found  two  or  three  bags  full  of  nails  and  spikes, 
a  great  screw-jack,  a  dozen  or  two  of  hatchets,  and 

[59] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

above  all,  that  most  useful  thing  called  a  grindstone. 
All  these  I  secured,  together  with  several  things 
belonging  to  the  gunner,  particularly  two  or  three 
iron  crows,  and  two  barrels  of  musket  bullets,  seven 
muskets,  and  another  fowling-piece,  with  some  small 
quantity  of  powder  more ;  a  large  bag  full  of  small- 
shot,  and  a  great  roll  of  sheet  lead  ;  but  this  last 
was  so  heavy,  I  could  not  hoist  it  up  to  get  it  over 
the  ship's  side.  Besides  these  things,  I  took  all  the 
men's  clothes  that  I  could  find,  and  a  spare  fore-top 
sail,  a  hammock,  and  some  bedding;  and  with  this 
I  loaded  my  second  raft,  and  brought  them  all  safe 
on  shore,  to  my  very  great  comfort. 

I  was  under  some  apprehensions  during  my  ab- 
sence from  the  land,  that  at  least  my  provisions 
might  be  devoured  on  shore ;  but  when  I  came  back, 
I  found  no  sign  of  any  visitor,  only  there  sat  a  crea- 
ture like  a  wildcat  upon  one  of  the  chests,  which, 
when  I  came  towards  it,  ran  away  a  little  distance, 
and  then  stood  still.  She  sat  very  composed  and 
unconcerned,  and  looked  full  in  my  face,  as  if  she 
had  a  mind  to  be  acquainted  with  me.  I  presented 
my  gun  at  her  ;  but  as  she  did  not  understand  it,  she 
was  perfectly  unconcerned  at  it,  nor  did  she  offer  to 
stir  away ;  upon  which  I  tossed  her  a  bit  of  biscuit, 
though,  by  the  way,  I  was  not  very  free  of  it,  for  my 
store  was  not  great.  However,  I  spared  her  a  bit,  I 
say,  and  she  went  to  it,  smelled  of  it,  and  ate  it,  and 
looked  (as  pleased)  for  more  ;  but  I  thanked  her,  and 
could  spare  no  more,  so  she  marched  off. 

Having  got  my  second  cargo  on  shore,  though  I 
was  fain  to  open  the  barrels  of  powder  and  bring 
them  by  parcels,  for  they  were  too  heavy,  being  large 
casks,  I  went  to  work  to  make  me  a  little  tent  with 
the  sail  and  some  poles  which  I  cut  for  that  pur- 
pose ;  and  into  this  tent  I  brought  everything  that  I 
knew  would  spoil  either  with  rain  or  sun  ;  and  I  piled 

[60] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

all  the  empty  chests  and  casks  up  in  a  circle  round 
the  tent,  to  fortify  it  from  any  sudden  attempt,  either 
from  man  or  beast. 

When  I  had  done  this  I  blocked  up  the  door  of 
the  tent  with  some  boards  within,  and  an  empty 
chest  set  up  on  end  without ;  and  spreading  one  of 
the  beds  upon  the  ground,  laying  my  two  pistols  just 
at  my  head,  and  my  gun  at  length  by  me,  I  went  to 
bed  for  the  first  time,  and  slept  very  quietly  all 
night,  for  I  was  very  weary  and  heavy ;  for  the  night 
before  I  had  slept  little,  and  had  laboured  very  hard 
all  day,  as  well  to  fetch  all  those  things  from  the 
ship,  as  to  get  them  on  shore. 

I  had  the  biggest  magazine  of  all  kinds  now  that 
ever  was  laid  up,  I  believe,  for  one  man ;  but  I  was 
not  satisfied  still,  for  while  the  ship  sat  upright  in 
that  posture,  I  thought  I  ought  to  get  everything 
out  of  her  that  I  could.  So  every  day  at  low  water 
I  went  on  board,  and  brought  away  something  or 
other ;  but,  particularly,  the  third  time  I  went  I 
brought  away  as  much  of  the  rigging  as  I  could, 
as  also  all  the  small  ropes  and  rope-twine  I  could 
get,  with  a  piece  of  spare  canvas,  which  was  to  mend 
the  sails  upon  occasion,  the  barrel  of  wet  gunpowder ; 
in  a  word,  I  brought  away  all  the  sails  first  and  last, 
only  that  I  was  fain  to  cut  them  in  pieces,  and  bring 
as  much  at  a  time  as  I  could  ;  for  they  were  no  more 
useful  to  be  sails,  but  as  mere  canvas  only. 

But  that  which  comforted  me  more  still  was,  that 
at  last  of  all,  after  I  had  made  five  or  six  such  voy- 
ages as  these,  and  thought  I  had  nothing  more  to 
expect  from  the  ship  that  was  worth  my  meddling 
with ;  I  say,  after  all  this,  I  found  a  great  hogshead 
of  bread,  and  three  large  runlets  of  rum  or  spirits, 
and  a  box  of  sugar,  and  a  barrel  of  fine  flour ;  this 
was  surprising  to  me,  because  I  had  given  over  ex- 
pecting any  more  provisions,  except  what  was  spoilt 

[61] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

by  the  water.  I  soon  emptied  the  hogshead  of  that 
bread,  and  wrapped  it  up  parcel  by  parcel  in  pieces 
of  the  sails,  which  I  cut  out ;  and,  in  a  word,  I  got 
all  this  safe  on  shore  also. 

The  next  day  I  made  another  voyage.  And  now, 
having  plundered  the  ship  of  what  was  portable  and 
fit  to  hand  out,  I  began  with  the  cables  ;  and  cutting 
the  great  cable  into  pieces,  such  as  I  could  move,  I 
got  two  cables  and  a  hawser  on  shore,  with  all  the 
ironwork  I  could  get;  and  having  cut  down  the 
sprit-sailyard,  and  the  mizzen-yard,  and  everything 
I  could  to  make  a  large  raft,  I  loaded  it  with  all 
those  heavy  goods,  and  came  away.  But  my  good 
luck  began  now  to  leave  me  ;  for  this  raft  was  so 
unwieldy,  and  so  overladen,  that  after  I  was  entered 
the  little  cove  where  I  had  landed  the  rest  of  mv 
goods,  not  being  able  to  guide  it  so  handily  as  I  did 
the  other,  it  overset,  and  threw  me  and  all  my  cargo 
into  the  water.  As  for  myself,  it  was  no  great  harm, 
for  I  was  near  the  shore ;  but  as  to  my  cargo,  it  was 
great  part  of  it  lost,  especially  the  iron,  which  I  ex- 
pected would  have  been  of  great  use  to  me.  How- 
ever, when  the  tide  was  out  I  got  most  of  the  pieces 
of  cable  ashore,  and  some  of  the  iron,  though  with 
infinite  labour;  for  I  was  fain  to  dip  for  it  into  the 
water,  a  work  which  fatigued  me  very  much.  After 
this  I  went  every  day  on  board,  and  brought  away 
what  I  could  get. 

I  had  been  now  thirteen  days  on  shore,  and  had 
been  eleven  times  on  board  the  ship ;  in  which  time 
I  had  brought  away  all  that  one  pair  of  hands  could 
well  be  supposed  capable  to  bring,  though  I  believe 
verily,  had  the  calm  weather  held,  I  should  have 
brought  away  the  whole  ship  piece  by  piece.  But 
preparing  the  twelfth  time  to  go  on  board,  I  found 
the  wind  begin  to  rise.  However,  at  low  water  I 
went  on  board,  and  though  I  thought  I  had  rum- 

[62] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

maged  the  cabin  so  effectually  as  that  nothing 
more  could  be  found,  yet  I  discovered  a  locker 
with  drawers  in  it,  in  one  of  which  I  found  two  or 
three  razors,  and  one  pair  of  large  scissors,  with 
some  ten  or  a  dozen  of  good  knives  and  forks  ;  in 
another,  I  found  about  thirty-six  pounds  value  in 
money,  some  European  coin,  some  Brazil,  some  pieces 
of  eight,  some  gold,  some  silver. 

I  smiled  to  myself  at  the  sight  of  this  money. 
"  O  drug  !  "  said  I  aloud,  "  what  art  thou  good  for  ? 
Thou  art  not  worth  to  me,  no,  not  the  taking  off  of 
the  ground ;  one  of  those  knives  is  worth  all  this 
heap.  I  have  no  manner  of  use  for  thee ;  even  re- 
main where  thou  art,  and  go  to  the  bottom  as  a 
creature  whose  life  is  not  worth  saving.'"  However, 
upon  second  thoughts,  I  took  it  away  ;  and  wrapping 
all  this  in  a  piece  of  canvas,  I  began  to  think  of  mak- 
ing another  raft ;  but  while  I  was  preparing  this,  I 
found  the  sky  overcast,  and  the  wind  began  to  rise, 
and  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  it  blew  a  fresh  gale  from 
the  shore.  It  presently  occurred  to  me  that  it  was 
in  vain  to  pretend  to  make  a  raft  with  the  wind  off 
shore,  and  that  it  was  my  business  to  be  gone  before 
the  tide  of  flood  began,  otherwise  I  might  not  be 
able  to  reach  the.  shore  at  all.  Accordingly  I  let 
myself  down  into  the  water,  and  swam  across  the 
channel,  which  lay  between  the  ship  and  the  sands, 
and  even  that  with  difficulty  enough,  partly  with  the 
weight  of  the  things  I  had  about  me,  and  partly  the 
roughness  of  the  water ;  for  the  wind  rose  very  has- 
tily, and  before  it  was  quite  high  water  it  blew  a 
storm. 

But  I  was  gotten  home  to  my  little  tent,  where  I 
lay  with  all  my  wealth  about  me  very  secure.  It 
blew  very  hard  all  that  night,  and  in  the  morning, 
when  I  looked  out,  behold,  no  more  ship  was  to  be 
seen.     I  was  a  little  surprised,  but  recovered  myself 

[63] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

with  this  satisfactory  reflection,  viz.,  that  I  had  lost 
no  time,  nor  abated  no  diligence,  to  get  everything 
out  of  her  that  could  be  useful  to  me,  and  that  in- 
deed there  was  little  left  in  her  that  I  was  able  to 
bring  away  if  I  had  had  more  time. 

I  now  gave  over  any  more  thoughts  of  the  ship,  or 
of  anything  out  of  her,  except  what  might  drive  on 
shore  from  her  wreck,  as  indeed  divers  pieces  of  her 
afterwards  did  ;  but  those  things  were  of  small  use 
to  me. 

My  thoughts  were  now  wholly  employed  about 
securing  myself  against  either  savages,  if  any  should 
appear,  or  wild  beasts,  if  any  were  in  the  island  ;  and 
I  had  many  thoughts  of  the  method  how  to  do  this, 
and  what  kind  of  dwelling  to  make,  whether  I  should 
make  me  a  cave  in  the  earth,  or  a  tent  upon  the 
earth ;  and,  in  short,  I  resolved  upon  both,  the 
manner  and  description  of  which  it  may  not  be  im- 
proper to  give  an  account  of. 

I  soon  found  the  place  I  was  in  was  not  for  my 
settlement,  particularly  because  it  was  upon  a  low 
moorish  ground  near  the  sea,  and  I  believed  would  not 
be  wholesome  ;  and  more  particularly  because  there 
was  no  fresh  water  near  it.  So  I  resolved  to  find  a 
more  healthy  and  more  convenient  spot  of  ground. 

I  consulted  several  things  in  my  situation,  which  I 
found  would  be  proper  for  me.  First,  health  and 
fresh  water,  I  just  now  mentioned.  Secondly,  shelter 
from  the  heat  of  the  sun.  Thirdly,  security  from 
ravenous  creatures,  whether  men  or  beasts.  Fourthly, 
a  view  to  the  sea,  that  if  God  sent  any  ship  in  sight 
I  might  not  lose  any  advantage  for  my  deliverance, 
of  which  I  was  not  willing  to  banish  all  my  expecta- 
tion yet. 

In  search  of  a  place  proper  for  this,  I  found  a  little 
plain  on  the  side  of  a  rising  hill,  whose  front  towards 
this  little  plain  was  steep  as  a  house-side,  so  that 

[64] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

nothing  could  come  down  upon  me  from  the  top ;  on 
the  side  of  this  rock  there  was  a  hollow  place,  worn  a 
little  way  in,  like  the  entrance  or  door  of  a  cave ; 
but  there  was  not  really  any  cave,  or  way  into  the 
rock  at  all. 

On  the  flat  of  the  green,  just  before  this  hollow 
place,  I  resolved  to  pitch  my  tent.  This  plain  was 
not  above  an  hundred  yards  broad,  and  about  twice 
as  long,  and  lay  like  a  green  before  my  door,  and  at 
the  end  of  it  descended  irregularly  every  way  down 
into  the  low  grounds  by  the  seaside.  It  was  on  the 
NNW.  side  of  the  hill,  so  that  I  was  sheltered  from 
the  heat  every  day,  till  it  came  to  a  W.  and  by  S. 
sun,  or  thereabouts,  which  in  those  countries  is  near 
the  setting. 

Before  I  set  up  my  tent,  I  drew  a  half  circle  before 
the  hollow  place,  which  took  in  about  ten  yards  in  its 
semi-diameter  from  the  rock,  and  twenty  yards  in  its 
diameter  from  its  beginning  and  ending.  In  this 
half  circle  I  pitched  two  rows  of  strong  stakes,  driv- 
ing them  into  the  ground  till  they  stood  very  firm 
like  piles,  the  biggest  end  being  out  of  the  ground 
about  five  feet  and  a  half,  and  sharpened  on  the  top. 
The  two  rows  did  not  stand  above  six  inches  from 
one  another. 

Then  I  took  the  pieces  of  cable  which  I  had  cut  in 
the  ship,  and  laid  them  in  rows  one  upon  another, 
within  the  circle,  between  these  two  rows  of  stakes, 
up  to  the  top,  placing  other  stakes  in  the  inside  lean- 
ing against  them,  about  two  feet  and  a  half  high, 
like  a  spur  to  a  post ;  and  this  fence  was  so  strong, 
that  neither  man  or  beast  could  get  into  it,  or  over 
it.  This  cost  me  a  great  deal  of  time  and  labour, 
especially  to  cut  the  piles  in  the  woods,  bring  them 
to  the  place,  and  drive  them  into  the  earth. 

The  entrance  into  this  place  I  made  to  be  not  by  a 
door,  but  by  a  short  ladder  to  go  over  the  top  ;  which 
VOL.  i.—  5  [  65  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

ladder,  when  I  was  in,  I  lifted  over  after  me,  and  so 
I  was  completely  fenced  in,  and  fortified,  as  I  thought, 
from  all  the  world,  and  consequently  slept  secure  in 
the  night,  which  otherwise  I  could  not  have  done ; 
though  as  it  appeared  afterward,  there  was  no  need 
of  all  this  caution  from  the  enemies  that  I  appre- 
hended danger  from. 

Into  this  fence  or  fortress,  with  infinite  labour,  I 
carried  all  my  riches,  all  my  provisions,  ammunition, 
and  stores,  of  which  you  have  the  account  above  ;  and 
I  made  me  a  large  tent,  which,  to  preserve  me  from 
the  rains  that  in  one  part  of  the  year  are  very  violent 
there,  I  made  double,  viz.,  one  smaller  tent  within, 
and  one  larger  tent  above  it,  and  covered  the  upper- 
most with  a  large  tarpaulin,  which  I  had  saved  among 
the  sails.  And  now  I  lay  no  more  for  a  while  in  the 
bed  which  I  had  brought  on  shore,  but  in  a  ham- 
mock, which  was  indeed  a  very  good  one,  and  be- 
longed to  the  mate  of  the  ship. 

Into  this  tent  I  brought  all  my  provisions,  and 
everything  that  would  spoil  by  the  wet ;  and  having 
thus  enclosed  all  my  goods,  I  made  up  the  entrance, 
which,  till  now,  I  had  left  open,  and  so  passed  and 
repassed,  as  I  said,  by  a  short  ladder. 

When  I  had  done  this,  I  began  to  work  my  way 
into  the  rock  ;  and  bringing  all  the  earth  and  stones 
that  I  dug  down  out  through  my  tent,  I  laid  them 
up  within  my .  fence  in  the  nature  of  a  terrace,  so 
that  it  raised  the  ground  within  about  a  foot  and  a 
half;  and  thus  I  made  me  a  cave  just  behind  my 
tent,  which  served  me  like  a  cellar  to  my  house. 

It  cost  me  much  labour,  and  many  days,  before  all 
these  things  were  brought  to  perfection,  and  there- 
fore I  must  go  back  to  some  other  things  which  took 
up  some  of  my  thoughts.  At  the  same  time  it  hap- 
pened, after  I  had  laid  my  scheme  for  the  setting  up 
my  tent,  and  making  the  cave,  that  a  storm  of  rain 

[66] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

falling  from  a  thick  dark  cloud,  a  sudden  flash  of 
lightning  happened,  and  after  that  a  great  clap  of 
thunder,  as  is  naturally  the  effect  of  it.  I  was  not  so 
much  surprised  with  the  lightning,  as  I  was  with  a 
thought  which  darted  into  my  mind  as  swift  as  the 
lightning  itself.  O  my  powder !  My  very  heart 
sunk  within  me  when  I  thought,  that  at  one  blast  all 
my  powder  might  be  destroyed,  on  which,  not  my 
defence  only,  but  the  providing  me  food,  as  I  thought, 
entirely  depended.  I  was  nothing  near  so  anxious 
about  my  own  danger ;  though  had  the  powder  took 
fire,  I  had  never  known  who  had  hurt  me. 

Such  impression  did  this  make  upon  me,  that  after 
the  storm  was  over  I  laid  aside  all  my  works,  my 
building,  and  fortifying,  and  applied  myself  to  make 
bags  and  boxes  to  separate  the  powder,  and  keep  it 
a  little  and  a  little  in  a  parcel,  in  hope  that  whatever 
might  come  it  might  not  all  take  fire  at  once,  and 
to  keep  it  so  apart,  that  it  should  not  be  possible 
to  make  one  part  fire  another.  I  finished  this  work 
in  about  a  fortnight ;  and  I  think  my  powder, 
which  in  all  was  about  240  pounds  weight,  was 
divided  in  not  less  than  a  hundred  parcels.  As  to 
the  barrel  that  had  been  wet,  I  did  not  apprehend 
any  danger  from  that,  so  I  placed  it  in  my  new  cave, 
which  in  my  fancy  I  called  my  kitchen,  and  the  rest 
I  hid  up  and  down  in  holes  among  the  rocks,  so  that 
no  wet  might  come  to  it,  marking  very  carefully 
where  I  laid  it. 

In  the  interval  of  time  while  this  was  doing,  I  went 
out  once,  at  least,  every  day  with  my  gun,  as  well  to 
divert  myself,  as  to  see  if  I  could  kill  anything  fit  for 
food,  and  as  near  as  I  could  to  acquaint  myself  with 
what  the  island  produced.  The  first  time  I  went  out, 
I  presently  discovered  that  there  were  goats  in  the 
island,  which  was  a  great  satisfaction  to  me  ;  but  then 
it  was  attended  with  this  misfortune  to  me,  viz.,  that 

[67] 


KOBINSON    CRUSOE 

they  were  so  shy,  so  subtle,  and  so  swift  of  foot,  that 
it  was  the  difficultest  thing  in  the  world  to  come  at 
them.  But  I  was  not  discouraged  at  this,  not  doubt- 
ing but  I  might  now  and  then  shoot  one,  as  it  soon 
happened ;  for  after  I  had  found  their  haunts  a  little, 
I  laid  wait  in  this  manner  for  them.  I  observed  if 
they  saw  me  in  the  valleys,  though  they  were  upon 
the  rocks,  they  would  run  away  as  in  a  terrible  fright ; 
but  if  they  were  feeding  in  the  valleys,  and  I  was 
upon  the  rocks,  they  took  no  notice  of  me,  from 
whence  I  concluded  that,  by  the  position  of  their 
optics,  their  sight  was  so  directed  downward,  that 
they  did  not  readily  see  objects  that  were  above  them. 
So  afterward  I  took  this  method  ;  I  always  climbed 
the  rocks  first  to  get  above  them,  and  then  had  fre- 
quently a  fair  mark.  The  first  shot  I  made  among 
these  creatures  I  killed  a  she-goat,  which  had  a  little 
kid  by  her,  which  she  gave  suck  to,  which  grieved  me 
heartily  ;  but  when  the  old  one  fell,  the  kid  stood 
stock  still  by  her  till  I  came  and  took  her  up ;  and 
not  only  so,  but  when  I  carried  the  old  one  with  me 
upon  my  shoulders,  the  kid  followed  me  quite  to  my 
enclosure ;  upon  which  I  laid  down  the  dam,  and 
took  the  kid  in  my  arms,  and  carried  it  over  my  pale, 
in  hopes  to  have  bred  it  up  tame;  but  it  .would  not 
eat,  so  I  was  forced  to  kill  it,  and  eat  it  myself.  These 
two  supplied  me  with  flesh  a  great  while,  for  I  eat 
sparingly,  and  saved  my  provisions,  my  bread  espe- 
cially, as  much  as  possibly  I  could. 

Having  now  fixed  my  habitation,  I  found  it  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  provide  a  place  to  make  a  fire  in, 
and  fuel  to  burn  ;  and  what  I  did  for  that,  as  also 
how  I  enlarged  my  cave,  and  what  conveniences  I 
made,  I  shall  give  a  full  account  of  in  its  place. 
But  I  must  first  give  some  little  account  of  myself, 
and  of  my  thoughts  about  living,  which  it  may  well 
be  supposed  were  not  a  few. 

[68] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

I  had  a  dismal  prospect  of  my  condition  ;  for  as  I 
was  not  cast  away  upon  that  island  without  being 
driven,  as  is  said,  by  a  violent  storm,  quite  out  of 
the  course  of  our  intended  voyage,  and  a  great  way, 
viz.,  some  hundreds  of  leagues  out  of  the  ordinary 
course  of  the  trade  of  mankind,  I  had  great  reason 
to  consider  it  as  a  determination  of  Heaven,  that  in 
this  desolate  place,  and  in  this  desolate  manner,  I 
should  end  my  life.  The  tears  would  run  plenti- 
fully down  my  face  when  I  made  these  reflections, 
and  sometimes  I  would  expostulate  with  myself,  why 
Providence  should  thus  completely  ruin  its  creatures, 
and  render  them  so  absolutely  miserable,  so  without 
help  abandoned,  so  entirely  depressed,  that  it  could 
hardly  bo  rational  to  be  thankful  for  such  a  life. 

But  something  always  returned  swift  upon  me  to 
check  these  thoughts,  and  to  reprove  me  ;  and  par- 
ticularly one  day,  walking  with  my  gun  in  my  hand 
by  the  seaside,  I  was  very  pensive  upon  the  subject 
of  my  present  condition,  when  Reason,  as  it  were, 
expostulated  with  me  f  other  way,  thus  :  "  Well, 
you  are  in  a  desolate  condition  it  is  true,  but  pray 
remember,  where  are  the  rest  of  you  ?  Did  not  you 
come  eleven  of  you  into  the  boat  ?  Where  are  the 
ten  ?  Why  were  not  they  saved,  and  you  lost  ? 
Why  were  you  singled  out  ?  Is  it  better  to  be  here, 
or  there  ? "  And  then  I  pointed  to  the  sea.  All 
evils  are  to  be  considered  with  the  good  that  is  in 
them,  and  with  what  worse  attends  them. 

Then  it  occurred  to  me  again,  how  well  I  was  fur- 
nished for  my  subsistence,  and  what  would  have  been 
my  case  if  it  had  not  happened,  which  was  an  hun- 
dred thousand  to  one,  that  the  ship  floated  from  the 
place  where  she  first  struck  and  was  driven  so  near 
to  the  shore  that  I  had  time  to  get  all  these  things 
out  of  her  ;  what  would  have  been  my  case,  if  I  had 
been  to  have  lived  in  the  condition  in  which  I  at 

[69] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

first  came  on  shore,  without  necessaries  of  life,  or 
necessaries  to  supply  and  procure  them  ?  "  Par- 
ticularly?" said  I  aloud  (though  to  myself),  "  what 
should  I  have  done  without  a  gun,  without  ammu- 
nition, without  any  tools  to  make  anything  or  to 
work  with,  without  clothes,  bedding,  a  tent,  or  any 
manner  of  covering  ?  "  and  that  now  I  had  all  these 
to  a  sufficient  quantity,  and  was  in  a  fair  way  to 
provide  myself  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  live  without 
my  gun  when  my  ammunition  was  spent ;  so  that  I 
had  a  tolerable  view  of  subsisting  without  any  want 
as  long  as  I  lived.  For  I  considered  from  the  be- 
ginning how  I  would  provide  for  the  accidents  that 
might  happen,  and  for  the  time  that  was  to  come, 
even  not  only  after  my  ammunition  should  be  spent, 
but  even  after  my  health  or  strength  should  decay. 

I  confess  I  had  not  entertained  any  notion  of  my 
ammunition  being  destroyed  at  one  blast  —  I  mean, 
my  powder  being  blown  up  by  lightning  ;  and  this 
made  the  thoughts  of  it  so  surprising  to  me  when  it 
lightened  and  thundered,  as  I  observed  just  now. 

And  now  being  to  enter  into  a  melancholy  rela- 
tion of  a  scene  of  silent  life,  such,  perhaps,  as  was 
never  heard  of  in  the  world  before,  I  shall  take  it 
from  its  beginning,  and  continue, it  in  its  order.  It 
was,  by  my  account,  the  30th  of  September  when, 
in  the  manner  as  above  said,  I  first  set  foot  upon 
this  horrid  island,  when  the  sun  being  to  us  in  its 
autumnal  equinox,  was  almost  just  over  my  head, 
for  I  reckoned  myself,  by  observation,  to  be  in  the 
latitude  of  9  degrees  22  minutes  north  of  the  line. 

After  I  had  been  there  about  ten  or  twelve  days, 
it  came  into  my  thoughts  that  I  should  lose  my 
reckoning  of  time  for  want  of  books  and  pen  and 
ink,  and  should  even  forget  the  Sabbath  days  from 
the  working  days  ;  but  to  prevent  this,  I  cut  it  with 
my  knife  upon  a  large  post,  in  capital  letters  ;  and 

[70] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

making  it  into  a  great  cross,  I  set  it  up  on  the  shore 
where  I  first  landed,  viz.,  "  I  came  on  shore  here  on 
the  30th  of  September  1659."  Upon  the  sides  of 
this  square  post  I  cut  every  day  a  notch  with  my 
knife,  and  every  seventh  notch  was  as  long  again  as 
the  rest,  and  every  first  day  of  the  month  as  long  again 
as  that  long  one ;  and  thus  I  kept  my  calendar,  or 
weekly,  monthly,  and  yearly  reckoning  of  time. 

In  the  next  place  we  are  to  observe,  that  among 
the  many  things  which  I  brought  out  of  the  ship  in 
the  several  voyages,  which,  as  above  mentioned,  I 
made  to  it,  I  got  several  things  of  less  value,  but 
not  all  less  useful  to  me,  which  I  omitted  setting 
down  before  ;  as  in  particular,  pens,  ink,  and  paper, 
several  parcels  in  the  captain's,  mate's,  gunner's,  and 
carpenter's  keeping,  three  or  four  compasses,  some 
mathematical  instruments,  dials,  perspectives,  charts, 
and  books  of  navigation,  all  which  I  huddled  to- 
gether, whether  I  might  want  them  or  no.  Also  I 
found  three  very  good  Bibles,  which  came  to  me  in 
my  cargo  from  England,  and  which  I  had  packed 
up  among  my  things  ;  some  Portuguese  books  also, 
and  among  them  two  or  three  Popish  prayer-books, 
and  several  other  books,  all  which  I  carefully  secured. 
And  I  must  not  forget,  that  we  had  in  the  ship  a 
dog  and  two  cats,  of  whose  eminent  history  I  may 
have  occasion  to  say  something  in  its  place  ;  for  I 
carried  both  the  cats  with  me  ;  and  as  for  the  dog, 
he  jumped  out  of  the  ship  of  himself,  and  swam  on 
shore  to  me  the  day  after  I  went  on  shore  with  my 
first  cargo,  and  was  a  trusty  servant  to  me  many 
years.  I  wanted  nothing  that  he  could  fetch  me, 
nor  any  company  that  he  could  make  up  to  me ;  I 
only  wanted  to  have  him  talk  to  me,  but  that  would 
not  do.  As  I  observed  before,  I  found  pen,  ink,  and 
paper,  and  I  husbanded  them  to  the  utmost ;  and 
I  shall  show  that  while  my  ink  lasted,  I  kept  things 

[71] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

very  exact ;  but  after  that  was  gone,  I  could  not, 
for  I  could  not  make  any  ink  by  any  means  that  I 
could  devise. 

And  this  put  me  in  mind  that  I  wanted  many 
things,  notwithstanding  all  that  I  had  amassed  to- 
gether ;  and  of  these,  this  of  ink  was  one,  as  also 
spade,  pick-axe,  and  shovel,  to  dig  or  remove  the 
earth,  needles,  pins,  and  thread ;  as  for  linen,  I  soon 
learned  to  want  that  without  much  difficulty. 

This  want  of  tools  made  every  work  I  did  go  on 
heavily ;  and  it  was  near  a  whole  year  before  I  had 
entirely  finished  my  little  pale  or  surrounded  habita- 
tion. The  piles  or  stakes,  which  were  as  heavy  as  I 
could  well  lift,  were  a  long  time  in  cutting  and  pre- 
paring in  the  woods,  and  more  by  far  in  bringing 
home ;  so  that  I  spent  sometimes  two  days  in  cutting 
and  bringing  home  one  of  those  posts,  and  a  third 
day  in  driving  it  into  the  ground ;  for  which  pur- 
pose I  got  a  heavy  piece  of  wood  at  first,  but  at  last 
bethought  myself  of  one  of  the  iron  crows,  which, 
however,  though  I  found  it,  yet  it  made  driving 
those  posts  or  piles  very  laborious  and  tedious  work. 

But  what  need  I  have  been  concerned  at  the 
tediousness  of  anything  I  had  to  do,  seeing  I  had 
time  enough  to  do  it  in  ?  nor  had  I  any  other  em- 
ployment, if  that  had  been  over,  at  least,  that  I 
could  foresee,  except  the  ranging  the  island  to  seek 
for  food,  which  T  did  more  or  less  every  day., 

I  now  began  to  consider  seriously  my  condition, 
and  the  circumstance  I  was  reduced  to  ;  and  I  drew 
up  the  state  of  my  affairs  in  writing  ;  not  so  much 
to  leave  them  to  any  that  were  to  come  after  me,  for 
I  was  like  to  have  but  few  heirs,  as  to  deliver  my 
thoughts  from  daily  pouring  upon  them,  and  afflict- 
ing my  mind.  And  as  my  reason  began  now  to 
master  my  despondency,  I  began  to  comfort  myself 
as  well  as  I  could,  and  to  set  the  good  against  the 

[72] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 


evil,  that  I  might  have  something  to  distinguish  my 
case  from  worse ;  and  I  stated  it  very  impartially, 
like  debtor  and  creditor,  the  comforts  I  enjoyed 
against  the  miseries  I  suffered,  thus  : 


Evil. 

I  am  cast  upon  a  horri- 
ble desolate  island,  void  of 
all  hope  of  recovery. 

I  am  singled  out  and 
separated,  as  it  were,  from 
all  the  world  to  be  miser- 
able. 


I  am  divided  from 
mankind,  a  solitaire,  one 
banished  from  human  so- 
ciety. 

I  have  not  clothes  to 
cover  me. 


I  am  without  any  de- 
fence or  means  to  resist 
any  violence  of  man  or 
beast. 


I  have  no  soul  to  speak 
to,  or  relieve  me. 


[73] 


Good. 

But  I  am  alive,  and  not 
drowned,  as  all  my  ship's 
company  was. 

But  I  am  singled  out, 
too,  from  all  the  ship's 
crew  to  be  spared  from 
death  ;  and  He  that  mira- 
culously saved  me  from 
death,  can  deliver  me  from 
this  condition. 

But  I  am  not  starved 
and  perishing  on  a  barren 
place,  affording  no  suste- 
nance. 

But  I  am  in  a  hot  cli- 
mate, where  if  I  had 
clothes  I  could  hardly 
wear  them. 

But  I  am  cast  on  an 
island,  where  I  see  no 
wild  beasts  to  hurt  me, 
as  I  saw  on  the  coast  of 
Africa  ;  and  what  if  I  had 
been  shipwrecked  there  ? 

But  God  wonderfully 
sent  the  ship  in  near 
enough  to  the  shore,  that 
I  have  gotten  out  so 
many  necessary  things  as 
will  either  supply  my 
wants,  or  enable  me  to 
supply  myself  even  as 
long  as   I  live. 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

Upon  the  whole,  here  was  an  undoubted  testi- 
mony, that  there  was  scarce  any  condition  in  the 
world  so  miserable,  but  there  was  something  nega- 
tive or  something  positive  to  be  thankful  for  in  it ; 
and  let  this  stand  as  a  direction  from  the  experience 
of  the  most  miserable  of  all  conditions  in  this  world, 
that  we  may  always  find  in  it  something  to  comfort 
ourselves  from,  and  to  set  in  the  description  of  good 
and  evil  on  the  credit  side  of  the  account. 

Having  now  brought  my  mind  a  little  to  relish 
my  condition,  and  given  over  looking  out  to  sea, 
to  see  if  I  could  spy  a  ship  ;  I  say,  giving  over  these 
things,  I  began  to  apply  myself  to  accommodate  my 
way  of  living,  and  to  make  things  as  easy  to  me  as  I 
could. 

I  have  already  described  my  habitation,  which  was 
a  tent  under  the  side  of  a  rock,  surrounded  with  a 
strong  pale  of  posts  and  cables  ;  but  I  might  now 
rather  call  it  a  wall,  for  I  raised  a  kind  of  wall  up 
against  it  of  turfs,  about  two  feet  thick  on  the  out- 
side, and  after  some  time  —  I  think  it  was  a  year 
and  a  half —  I  raised  rafters  from  it  leaning  to  the 
rock,  and  thatched  or  covered  it  with  boughs  of  trees 
and  such  things  as  I  could  get  to  keep  out  the  rain, 
which  I  found  at  some  times  of  the  year  very  violent. 

I  have  already  observed  how  I  brought  all  my 
goods  into  this  pale,  and  into  the  cave  which  I  had 
made  behind  me.  But  I  must  observe,  too,  that  at 
first  this  was  a  confused  heap  of  goods,  which  as  they 
lay  in  no  order,  so  they  took  up  all  my  place ;  I  had 
no  room  to  turn  myself.  So  I  set  myself  to  enlarge 
my  cave  and  works  farther  into  the  earth  ;  for  it  was 
a  loose  sandy  rock,  which  yielded  easily  to  the  labour 
I  bestowed  on  it.  And  so,  when  I  found  I  was  pretty 
safe  as  to  beasts  of  prey,  I  worked  sideways  to  the 
right  hand  into  the  rock  ;  and  then,  turning  to  the 
right  again,  worked  quite  out,  and  made  me  a  door 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  come  out  on  the  outside  of  my  pale  or  fortifica- 
tion. This  gave  me  not  only  egress  and  regress,  as 
it  were  a  back-way  to  my  tent  and  to  my  storehouse, 
but  gave  me  room  to  stow  my  goods. 

And  now  I  began  to  apply  myself  to  make  such 
necessary  things  as  I  found  I  most  wanted,  as  par- 
ticularly a  chair  and  a  table  ;  for  without  these  I 
was  not  able  to  enjoy  the  few  comforts  I  had  in  the 
world.  I  could  not  write  or  eat,  or  do  several  things 
with  so  much  pleasure  without  a  table. 

So  I  went  to  work  ;  and  here  I  must  needs  observe, 
that  as  reason  is  the  substance  and  original  of  the 
mathematics,  so  by  stating  and  squaring  everything 
by  reason,  and  by  making  the  most  rational  judg- 
ment of  things,  every  man  may  be  in  time  master  of 
every  mechanic  art.  I  had  never  handled  a  tool  in 
my  life ;  and  yet  in  time,  by  labour,  application,  and 
contrivance,  I  found  at  last  that  I  wanted  nothing 
but  I  could  have  made  it,  especially  if  I  had  had 
tools.  However,  I  made  abundance  of  things  even 
without  tools,  and  some  with  no  more  tools  than  an 
adze  and  a  hatchet,  which,  perhaps,  were  never  made 
that  way  before,  and  that  with  infinite  labour.  For 
example,  if  I  wanted  a  board,  I  had  no  other  way 
but  to  cut  down  a  tree,  set  it  on  an  edge  before  me, 
and  hew  it  flat  on  either  side  with  my  axe,  till  I  had 
brought  it  to  be  thin  as  a  plank,  and  then  dub  it 
smooth  with  my  adze.  It  is  true,  by  this  method  I 
could  make  but  one  board  out  of  a  whole  tree ;  but 
this  I  had  no  remedy  for  but  patience,  any  more 
than  I  had  for  the  prodigious  deal  of  time  and  la- 
bour which  it  took  me  up  to  make  a  plank  or  board. 
But  my  time  or  labour  was  little  worth,  and  so  it 
was  as  well  employed  one  way  as  another. 

However,  I  made  me  a  table  and  a  chair,  as  I 
observed  above,  in  the  first  place,  and  this  I  did  out 
of  the  short  pieces  of  boards  that  I  brought  on  my 

[75] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

raft  from  the  ship.  But  when  I  had  wrought  out 
some  boards,  as  above,  I  made  large  shelves  of  the 
breadth  of  a  foot  and  a  half  one  over  another,  all 
along  one  side  of  my  cave,  to  lay  all  my  tools,  nails, 
and  iron-work ;  and,  in  a  word,  to  separate  every- 
thing at  large  in  their  places,  that  I  might  come 
easily  at  them.  I  knocked  pieces  into  the  wall  of 
the  rock  to  hang  my  guns  and  all  things  that  would 
hang  up ;  so  that  had  my  cave  been  to  be  seen,  it 
looked  like  a  general  magazine  of  all  necessary 
things ;  and  I  had  everything  so  ready  at  my  hand, 
that  it  was  a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  see  all  my 
goods  in  such  order,  and  especially  to  find  my  stock 
of  all  necessaries  so  great. 

And  now  it  was  when  I  began  to  keep  a  journal  of 
every  day's  employment ;  for,  indeed,  at  first,  I  was 
in  too  much  hurry,  and  not  only  hurry  as  to  labour, 
but  in  too  much  discomposure  of  mind ;  and  my 
journal  would  have  been  full  of  many  dull  things. 
For  example,  I  must  have  said  thus  :  Sept.  the  30th.  — 
After  I  got  to  shore,  and  had  escaped  drowning,  in- 
stead of  being  thankful  to  God  for  my  deliverance, 
having  first  vomited  with  the  great  quantity  of  salt 
water  which  was  gotten  into  my  stomach,  and  re- 
covering myself  a  little,  I  ran  about  the  shore, 
wringing  my  hands,  and  beating  my  head  and  face, 
exclaiming  at  my  misery,  and  crying  out,  I  was  un- 
done, undone,  till,  tired  and  faint,  I  was  forced  to  lie 
down  on  the  ground  to  repose ;  but  durst  not  sleep, 
for  fear  of  being  devoured. 

Some  days  after  this,  and  after  I  had  been  on  board 
the  ship,  and  got  all  that  I  could  out  of  her,  yet 
I  could  not  forbear  getting  up  to  the  top  of  a  little 
mountain,  and  looking  out  to  sea,  in  hopes  of  seeing 
a  ship  ;  then  fancy  at  a  vast  distance  I  spied  a  sail, 
please  myself  with  the  hopes  of  it,  and  then,  after 
looking  steadily  till  I  was  almost  blind,  lose  it  quite, 

[76] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  sit  down  and  weep  like  a  child,  and  thus  increase 
my  misery  by  my  folly. 

But  having  gotten  over  these  things  in  some 
measure,  and  having  settled  my  household  stuff  and 
habitation,  made  me  a  table  and  a  chair,  and  all  as 
handsome  about  me  as  I  could,  I  began  to  keep  my 
journal,  of  which  I  shall  here  give  you  the  copy 
(though  in  it  will  be  told  all  these  particulars  over 
again)  as  long  as  it  lasted  ;  for,  having  no  more  ink, 
I  was  forced  to  leave  it  off. 

THE   JOURNAL 

September  30,  1659.  —  I,  poor  miserable  Robinson 
Crusoe,  being  shipwrecked,  during  a  dreadful  storm, 
in  the  offing,  came  on  shore  on  this  dismal  unfortunate 
island,  which  I  called  the  Island  of  Despair,  all  the 
rest  of  the  ship's  company  being  drowned,  and  myself 
almost  dead. 

All  the  rest  of  that  day  I  spent  in  afflicting  myself 
at  the  dismal  circumstances  I  was  brought  to,  viz.,  I 
had  neither  food,  house,  clothes,  weapon,  or  place  to 
fly  to  ;  and  in  despair  of  any  relief,  saw  nothing  but 
death  before  me ;  either  that  I  should  be  devoured 
by  wild  beasts,  murdered  by  savages,  or  starved  to 
death  for  want  of  food.  At  the  approach  of  night, 
I  stept  in  a  tree  for  fear  of  wild  creatures,  but  slept 
soundly,  though  it  rained  all  night. 

October  1.  —  In  the  morning  I  saw,  to  my  great 
surprise,  the  ship  had  floated  with  the  high  tide,  and 
was  driven  on  shore  again  much  nearer  the  island  ; 
which,  as  it  was  some  comfort  on  one  hand,  for  see- 
ing her  sit  upright,  and  not  broken  to  pieces,  I  hoped, 
if  the  wind  abated,  I  might  get  on  board,  and  get 
some  food  and  necessaries  out  of  her  for  my  relief; 
so,  on  the  other  hand,  it  renewed  my  grief  at  the  loss 
of  my  comrades,  who,  I  imagined,  if  we  had  all  stayed 

[77  J 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

on  board,  might  have  saved  the  ship,  or  at  least  that 
they  would  not  have  been  all  drowned  as  they  were ; 
and  that  had  the  men  been  saved,  we  might  perhaps 
have  built  us  a  boat  out  of  the  ruins  of  the  ship,  to 
have  carried  us  to  some  other  part  of  the  world.  I 
spent  great  part  of  this  day  in  perplexing  myself  on 
these  things  ;  but  at  length  seeing  the  ship  almost 
dry,  I  went  upon  the  sand  as  near  as  I  could,  and 
then  swam  on  board ;  this  day  also  it  continued  rain- 
ing, though  with  no  wind  at  all. 

From  the  1st  of  October  to  the  %Uh.  —  All  these 
days  entirely  spent  in  many  several  voyages  to  get 
all  I  could  out  of  the  ship,  which  I  brought  on 
shore,  every  tide  of  flood,  upon  rafts.  Much  rain 
also  in  these  days,  though  with  some  intervals  of  fair 
weather ;  but,  it  seems,  this  was  the  rainy  season. 

Oct.  20.  —  I  overset  ray  raft,  and  all  the  goods  I 
had  got  upon  it ;  but  being  in  shoal  water,  and  the 
things  being  chiefly  heavy,  I  recovered  many  of  them 
when  the  tide  was  out. 

Oct.  25.  —  It  rained  all  night  and  all  day,  with 
some  gusts  of  wind,  during  which  time  the  ship 
broke  in  pieces,  the  wind  blowing  a  little  harder 
than  before,  and  was  no  more  to  be  seen,  except  the 
wreck  of  her,  and  that  only  at  low  water.  I  spent 
this  day  in  covering  and  securing  the  goods  which 
I  had  saved,  that  the  rain  might  not  spoil  them. 

Oct.  26.  —  I  walked  about  the  shore  almost  all  day 
to  find  out  a  place  to  fix  my  habitation,  greatly  con- 
cerned to  secure  myself  from  an  attack  in  the  night, 
either  from  wild  beasts  or  men.  Towards  night  I 
fixed  upon  a  proper  place  under  a  rock,  and  marked 
out  a  semicircle  for  my  encampment,  which  I  re- 
solved to  strengthen  with  a  wrork,  wall,  or  fortifica- 
tion made  of  double  piles,  lined  within  with  cables, 
and  without  with  turf. 

From  the  26th  to  the  30th  I  worked  very  hard  in 

[78] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

carrying  all  my  goods  to  my  new  habitation,  though 
some  part  of  the  time  it  rained  exceeding  hard. 

The  31st,  in  the  morning,  I  went  out  into  the 
island  with  my  gun  to  see  for  some  food,  and  dis- 
cover the  country  ;  when  I  killed  a  she-goat,  and  her 
kid  followed  me  home,  which  I  afterwards  killed  also, 
because  it  would  not  feed. 

Nov.  1.  —  I  set  up  my  tent  under  a  rock,  and  lay 
there  for  the  first  night,  making  it  as  large  as  I 
could,  with  stakes  driven  in  to  swing  my  hammock 
upon. 

Nov.  9>.  —  I  set  up  all  my  chests  and  boards,  and 
the  pieces  of  timber  which  made  my  rafts,  and  with 
them  formed  a  fence  round  me,  a  little  within  the 
place  I  had  marked  out  for  my  fortification. 

Nov.  S.  —  I  went  out  with  my  gun,  and  killed  two 
fowls  like  ducks,  which  were  very  good  food.  In  the 
afternoon  went  to  work  to  make  me  a  table. 

Nov.  4.  —  This  morning  I  began  to  order  my  times 
of  work,  of  going  out  with  my  gun,  time  of  sleep, 
and  time  of  diversion,  viz.,  every  morning  I  walked 
out  with  my  gun  for  two  or  three  hours,  if  it  did  not 
rain  ;  then  employed  myself  to  work  till  about  eleven 
o'clock ;  then  eat  what  I  had  to  live  on  ;  and  from 
twelve  to  two  I  lay  down  to  sleep,  the  weather  being 
excessive  hot ;  and  then  in  the  evening  to  work 
again.  The  working  part  of  this  day  and  of  the 
next  were  wholly  employed  in  making  my  table ;  for 
I  was  yet  but  a  very  sorry  workman,  though  time 
and  necessity  made  me  a  complete  natural  mechanic 
soon  after,  as  I  believe  it  would  do  any  one  else. 

Nov.  5.  —  This  day  went  abroad  with  my  gun  and 
my  dog,  and  killed  a  wild  cat ;  her  skin  pretty  soft, 
but  her  flesh  good  for  nothing.  Every  creature  I 
killed,  I  took  off  the  skins  and  preserved  them.  Com- 
ing back  by  the  sea-shore,  I  saw  many  sorts  of  sea- 
fowls,  which  I  did  not  understand  ;  but  was  surprised, 

[79] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  almost  frighted,  with  two  or  three  seals,  which, 
while  I  was  gazing  at,  not  well  knowing  what  they 
were,  got  into  the  sea,  and  escaped  me  for  that  time. 

Nov.  6.  —  After  my  morning  walk  I  went  to  work 
with  my  table  again,  and  finished  it,  though  not  to 
my  liking  ;  nor  was  it  long  before  I  learned  to  mend 
it. 

Nov.  7.  —  Now  it  began  to  be  settled  fair 
weather.  The  7th,  8th,  9th,  10th,  and  part  of  the 
12th  (for  the  11th  was  Sunday)  I  took  wholly  up  to 
make  me  a  chair,  and  with  much  ado,  brought  it  to 
a  tolerable  shape,  but  never  to  please  me ;  and  even 
in  the  making,  I  pulled  it  in  pieces  several  times. 
Note,  I  soon  neglected  my  keeping  Sundays  ;  for, 
omitting  my  mark  for  them  on  my  post,  I  forgot 
which  was  which. 

Nov.  13.  — This  day  it  rained,  which  refreshed  me 
exceedingly,  and  cooled  the  earth  ;  but  it  was  accom- 
panied with  terrible  thunder  and  lightning,  which 
frighted  me  dreadfully,  for  fear  of  my  powder.  As 
soon  as  it  was  over,  I  resolved  to  separate  my  stock 
of  powder  into  as  many  little  parcels  as  possible,  that 
it  might  not  be  in  danger. 

Nov.  14,  15,  16. — These  three  days  I  spent  in 
making  little  square  chests  or  boxes,  which  might 
hold  about  a  pound,  or  two  pound  at  most,  of  powder ; 
and  so  putting  the  powder  in,  I  stowed  it  in  places 
as  secure  and  remote  from  one  another  as  possible. 
On  one  of  these  three  days  I  killed  a  large  bird  that 
was  good  to  eat,  but  I  know  not  what  to  call  it. 

Nov.  17.  — This  day  I  began  to  dig  behind  my 
tent  into  the  rock,  to  make  room  for  my  farther  con- 
veniency.  Note,  three  things  I  wanted  exceedingly 
for  this  work,  viz.,  a  pick-axe,  a  shovel,  and  a  wheel- 
barrow or  basket ;  so  I  desisted  from  my  work,  and 
began  to  consider  how  to  supply  that  want,  and 
make  me  some  tools.     As  for  a  pick-axe,  I  made  use 

[80] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

of  the  iron  crows,  which  were  proper  enough,  though 
heavy  ;  but  the  next  thing  was  a  shovel  or  spade. 
This  was  so  absolutely  necessary,  that  indeed  I  could 
do  nothing  effectually  without  it ;  but  what  kind  of 
one  to  make,  I  knew  not. 

Nov.  18.  — The  next  day,  in  searching  the  woods, 
I  found  a  tree  of  that  wood,  or  like  it,  which  in  the 
Brazils  they  call  the  iron  tree,  for  its  exceeding  hard- 
ness ;  of  this,  with  great  labour,  and  almost  spoiling 
my  axe,  I  cut  a  piece,  and  brought  it  home,  too, 
with  difficulty  enough,  for  it  was  exceeding  heavy. 

The  excessive  hardness  of  the  wood,  and  having  no 
other  way,  made  me  a  long  while  upon  this  machine, 
for  I  worked  it  effectually,  by  little  and  little,  into 
the  form  of  a  shovel  or  spade,  the  handle  exactly 
shaped  like  ours  in  England,  only  that  the  broad 
part  having  no  iron  shod  upon  it  at  bottom,  it  would 
not  last  me  so  long.  However,  it  served  well  enough 
for  the  uses  which  I  had  occasion  to  put  it  to  ;  but 
never  was  a  shovel,  I  believe,  made  after  that  fashion, 
or  so  long  a-making. 

I  was  still  deficient,  for  I  wanted  a  basket  or  a 
wheelbarrow.  A  basket  I  could  not  make  by  any 
means,  having  no  such  things  as  twigs  that  would 
bend  to  make  wicker  ware,  at  least  none  yet  found 
out.  And  as  to  a  wheelbarrow,  I  fancied  I  could 
make  all  but  the  wheel,  but  that  I  had  no  notion 
of,  neither  did  I  know  how  to  go  about  it ;  besides, 
I  had  no  possible  way  to  make  the  iron  gudgeons 
for  the  spindle  or  axis  of  the  wheel  to  run  in,  so  I 
gaAe  it  over ;  and  so  for  carrying  away  the  earth 
which  I  dug  out  of  the  cave,  I  made  me  a  thing 
like  a  hod  which  the  labourers  carry  mortar  in,  when 
they  serve  the  bricklayers. 

This  was  not  so  difficult  to  me  as  the  making  the 
shovel ;  and  yet  this,  and  the  shovel,  and  the  attempt 
which  I  made  in  vain  to  make  a  wheelbarrow,  took 
VOL.  I.  —  6  [  81  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

me  up  no  less  than  four  days  ;  I  mean  always,  except- 
ing my  morning  walk  with  my  gun,  which  I  seldom 
failed,  and  very  seldom  failed  also  bringing  home 
something  fit  to  eat. 

Nov.  23.  —  My  other  work  having  now  stood 
still  because  of  my  making  these  tools,  when  they 
were  finished  I  went  on,  and  working  every  day,  as 
my  strength  and  time  allowed,  I  spent  eighteen  days 
entirely  in  widening  and  deepening  my  cave,  that  it 
might  hold  my  goods  commodiously. 

Note  :  During  all  this  time  I  worked  to  make 
this  room  or  cave  spacious  enough  to  accommodate 
me  as  a  warehouse  or  magazine,  a  kitchen,  a  dining- 
room,  and  a  cellar ;  as  for  my  lodging,  I  kept  to  the 
tent,  except  that  sometimes  in  the  wet  season  of 
the  year  it  rained  so  hard,  that  I  could  not  keep 
myself  dry,  which  caused  me  afterwards  to  cover 
all  my  place  within  my  pale  with  long  poles,  in  the 
form  of  rafters,  leaning  against  the  rock,  and  load 
them  with  flags  and  large  leaves  of  trees,  like  a 
thatch. 

December  10.  —  I  began  now  to  think  my  cave  or 
vault  finished,  when  on  a  sudden  (it  seems  I  had 
made  it  too  large)  a  great  quantity  of  earth  fell  down 
from  the  top  and  one  side,  so  much,  that,  in  short, 
it  frighted  me,  and  not  without  reason  too  ;  for  if  I 
had  been  under  it,  I  had  never  wanted  a  grave-digger. 
Upon  this  disaster  I  had  a  great  deal  of  work  to  do 
over  again ;  for  I  had  the  loose  earth  to  carry  out ; 
and,  which  was  of  more  importance,  I  had  the  ceiling 
to  prop  up,  so  that  I  might  be  sure  no  more  would 
come  down. 

Dec.  11 .  — This  day  I  went  to  work  with  it  accord- 
ingly, and  got  two  shores  or  posts  pitched  upright  to 
the  top,  with  two  pieces  of  boards  across  over  each 
post.  This  I  finished  the  next  day ;  and  setting 
more  posts  up  with  boards,  in  about  a  week  more  I 

[82] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

had  the  roof  secured ;  and  the  posts  standing  in  rows, 
served  me  for  partitions  to  part  of  my  house. 

Dec.  17.  —  From  this  day  to  the  twentieth  I  placed 
shelves,  and  knocked  up  nails  on  the  posts  to  hang 
everything  up  that  could  be  hung  up  ;  and  now  I 
began  to  be  in  some  order  within  doors. 

Dec.  20.  —  Now  I  carried  everything  into  the  cave, 
and  began  to  furnish  my  house,  and  set  up  some 
pieces  of  boards,  like  a  dresser,  to  order  my  victuals 
upon  ;  but  boards  began  to  be  very  scarce  with  me  ; 
also  I  made  me  another  table. 

Dec.  24.  —  Much  rain  all  night  and  all  day ;  no 
stirring  out. 

Dec.  25.  —  Rain  all  day. 

Dec.  26.  — -  No  rain,  and  the  earth  much  cooler 
than  before,  and  pleasanter. 

Dec.  27.  —  Killed  a  young  goat,  and  lamed  an- 
other, so  that  I  catched  it,  and  led  it  home  in  a 
string.  When  I  had  it  home,  I  bound  and  splintered 
up  its  leg,  which  was  broke.  N.  B.  —  I  took  such 
care  of  it,  that  it  lived ;  and  the  leg  grew  well  and 
as  strong  as  ever  ;  but  by  my  nursing  it  so  long  it 
grew  tame,  and  fed  upon  the  little  green  at  my  door, 
and  would  not  go  away.  This  was  the  first  time 
that  I  entertained  a  thought  of  breeding  up  some 
tame  creatures,  that  I  might  have  food  when  my 
powder  and  shot  was  all  spent. 

Dec.  28,  29,  30.  —  Great  heats  and  no  breeze,  so 
that  there  was  no  stirring  abroad,  except  in  the 
evening,  for  food.  This  time  I  spent  in  putting  all 
my  things  in  order  within  doors. 

January  1. — Very  hot  still,  but  I  went  abroad 
early  and  late  with  my  gun,  and  lay  still  in  the 
middle  of  the  day.  This  evening,  going  farther 
into  the  valleys  which  lay  towards  the  centre  of  the 
island,  I  found  there  was  plenty  of  goats,  though 
exceeding  shy,  and  hard  to  come  at.     However, '  I 

[83] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

resolved  to  try  if  I  could  not  bring  my  dog  to  hunt 
them  down. 

Jan.  %  —  Accordingly,  the  next  day,  I  went  out 
with  my  dog,  and  set  him  upon  the  goats  ;  but  I 
was  mistaken,  for  they  all  faced  about  upon  the 
dog ;  and  he  knew  his  danger  too  well,  for  he  would 
not  come  near  them. 

Jan.  3.  —  I  began  my  fence  or  wall ;  which,  being 
still  jealous  of  my  being  attacked  by  somebody,  I 
resolved  to  make  very  thick  and  strong. 

N.B.  —  This  wall  being  described  before,  I  pur- 
posely omit  what  was  said  in  the  journal.  It  is 
sufficient  to  observe  that  I  was  no  less  time  than 
from  the  3rd  of  January  to  the  14th  of  April  work- 
ing, finishing,  and  perfecting  this  wall,  though  it 
was  no  more  than  about  twenty-four  yards  in  length, 
being  a  half  circle  from  one  place  in  the  rock  to 
another  place  about  eight  yards  from  it,  the  door  of 
the  cave  being  in  the  centre  behind  it. 

All  this  time  I  worked  very  hard,  the  rains  hin- 
dering me  many  days,  nay,  sometimes  weeks  to- 
gether ;  but  I  thought  I  should  never  be  perfectly 
secure  till  this  wall  was  finished.  And  it  is  scarce 
credible  what  inexpressible  labour  everything  was 
done  with,  especially  the  bringing  piles  out  of 
the  woods,  and  driving  them  into  the  ground  ;  for 
I  made  them  much  bigger  than  I  need  to  have 
done. 

When  this  wall  was  finished,  and  the  outside 
double-fenced  with  a  turf-wall  raised  up  close  to  it, 
I  persuaded  myself  that  if  any  people  were  to  come 
on  shore  there,  they  would  not  perceive  anything 
like  a  habitation  ;  and  it  was  very  well  I  did  so,  as 
may  be  observed  hereafter  upon  a  very  remarkable 
occasion. 

During  this  time,  I  made  my  rounds  in  the  woods 

[84] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

for  game  every  day,  when  the  rain  admitted  me,  and 
made  frequent  discoveries  in  these  walks  of  some- 
thing or  other  to  my  advantage ;  particularly  I 
found  a  kind  of  wild  pigeons,  who  built,  not  as 
wood  pigeons  in  a  tree,  but  rather  as  house  pigeons, 
in  the  holes  of  the  rocks.  And  taking  some  young 
ones,  I  endeavoured  to  breed  them  up  tame,  and  did 
so  ;  but  when  they  grew  older  they  flew  all  away, 
which,  perhaps,  was  at  first  for  want  of  feeding 
them,  for  I  had  nothing  to  give  them.  However,  I 
frequently  found  their  nests,  and  got  their  young 
ones,  which  were  very  good   meat. 

And  now  in  the  managing  my  household  affairs 
I  found  myself  wanting  in  many  things,  which  I 
thought  at  first  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  make, 
as  indeed,  as  to  some  of  them,  it  was.  For  instance, 
I  could  never  make  a  cask  to  be  hooped ;  I  had  a 
small  runlet  or  two,  as  I  observed  before,  but  I 
could  never  arrive  to  the  capacity  of  making  one  by 
them,  though  I  spent  many  weeks  about  it.  I  could 
neither  put  in  the  heads,  or  joint  the  staves  so  true 
to  one  another,  as  to  make  them  hold  water ;  so  I 
gave  that  also  over. 

In  the  next  place,  I  was  at  a  great  loss  for  candle ; 
so  that  as  soon  as  ever  it  was  dark,  which  was  gen- 
erally by  seven  o'clock,  I  was  obliged  to  go  to  bed. 
I  remembered  the  lump  of  beeswax  with  which  I 
made  candles  in  my  African  adventure,  but  I  had 
none  of  that  now.  The  only  remedy  I  had  was,  that 
when  I  had  killed  a  goat  I  saved  the  tallow,  and 
with  a  little  dish  made  of  clay,  which  I  baked  in  the 
sun,  to  which  I  added  a  wick  of  some  oakum,  I 
made  me  a  lamp ;  and  this  gave  me  light,  though 
not  a  clear  steady  light  like  a  candle. 

In  the  middle  of  all  my  labours  it  happened,  that 
rummaging  my  things,  I  found  a  little  bag,  which, 
as  I  hinted  before,  had  been  filled  with  corn  for  the 

[85] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

feeding  of  poultry,  not  for  this  voyage,  but  before, 
as  I  suppose,  when  the  ship  came  from  Lisbon. 
What  little  remainder  of  corn  had  been  in  the  bag 
was  all  devoured  with  the  rats,  and  I  saw  nothing  in 
the  bag  but  husk  and  dust ;  and  being  willing  to 
have  the  bag  for  some  other  use,  I  think  it  was 
to  put  powder  in,  when  I  divided  it  for  fear  of  the 
lightning,  or  some  such  use,  I  shook  the  husks  of 
com  out  of  it  on  one  side  of  my  fortification,  under 
the  rock.  It  was  a  little  before  the  great  rains,  just 
now  mentioned,  that  I  threw  this  stuff  away,  taking 
no  notice  of  anything,  and  not  so  much  as  remem- 
bering that  I  had  thrown  anything  there  ;  when, 
about  a  month  after,  or  thereabout,  I  saw  some  few 
stalks  of  something  green  shooting  out  of  the  ground, 
which  I  fancied  might  be  some  plant  I  had  not  seen ; 
but  I  was  surprised,  and  perfectly  astonished,  when, 
after  a  little  longer  time,  I  saw  about  ten  or  twelve  ears 
come  out,  which  were  perfect  green  barley  of  the  same 
kind  as  our  European,  nay,  as  our  English  barley. 

It  is  impossible  to  express  the  astonishment  and 
confusion  of  my  thoughts  on  this  occasion.  I  had 
hitherto  acted  upon  no  religious  foundation  at  all ; 
indeed,  I  had  very  few  notions  of  religion  in  my 
head,  or  had  entertained  any  sense  of  anything  that 
had  befallen  me  otherwise  than  as  a  chance,  or,  as 
we  lightly  say,  what  pleases  God ;  without  so  much 
as  inquiring  into  the  end  of  Providence  in  these 
things,  or  His  order  in  governing  events  in  the 
world.  But  after  I  saw  barley  grow  there,  in  a 
climate  which  I  know  was  not  proper  for  corn,  and 
especially  that  I  knew  not  how  it  came  there,  it 
startled  me  strangely,  and  I  began  to  suggest  that 
God  had  miraculously  caused  this  grain  to  grow 
without  any  help  of  seed  sown,  and  that  it  was  so 
directed  purely  for  my  sustenance  on  that  wild  mis- 
erable place. 

[86] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

This  touched  my  heart  a  little,  and  brought  tears 
out  of  my  eyes  ;  and  I  began  to  bless  myself,  that 
such  a  prodigy  of  Nature  should  happen  upon  my 
account ;  and  this  was  the  more  strange  to  me,  be- 
cause I  saw  near  it  still,  all  along  by  the  side  of  the 
rock,  some  other  straggling  stalks,  which  proved  to 
be  stalks  of  rice,  and  which  I  knew,  because  I  had 
seen  it  grow  in  Africa,  when  I  was  ashore  there. 

I  not  only  thought  these  the  pure  productions  of 
Providence  for  my  support,  but,  not  doubting  but 
that  there  was  more  in  the  place,  I  went  all  over 
that  part  of  the  island  where  I  had  been  before, 
peering  in  every  corner,  and  under  every  rock,  to 
see  for  more  of  it ;  but  I  could  not  find  any.  At 
last  it  occurred  to  my  thoughts  that  I  had  shook  a 
bag  of  chicken's  meat  out  in  that  place,  and  then 
the  wonder  began  to  cease  ;  and  I  must  confess,  my 
religious  thankfulness  to  God's  providence  began  to 
abate  too,  upon  the  discovering  that  all  this  was 
nothing  but  what  was  common ;  though  I  ought  to 
have  been  as  thankful  for  so  strange  and  unforeseen 
providence,  as  if  it  had  been  miraculous  ;  for  it  was 
really  the  work  of  Providence  as  to  me,  that  should 
order  or  appoint,  that  ten  or  twelve  grains  of  corn 
should  remain  unspoiled  (when  the  rats  had  de- 
stroyed all  the  rest),  as  if  it  had  been  dropped  from 
heaven  ;  as  also  that  I  should  throw  it  out  in  that 
particular  place,  where,  it  being  in  the  shade  of  a 
high  rock,  it  sprang  up  immediately ;  whereas,  if  I 
had  thrown  it  anywhere  else  at  that  time,  it  had 
been  burnt  up  and    destroyed. 

I  carefully  saved  the  ears  of  this  corn,  you  may  be 
sure,  in  their  season,  which  was  about  the  end  of 
June  ;  and,  laying  up  every  corn,  I  resolved  to  sow 
them  all  again,  hoping  in  time  to  have  some  quan- 
tity sufficient  to  supply  me  with  bread.  But  it  was 
not  till  the  fourth  year,  that  I  could  allow  myself 

[87] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

the  least  grain  of  this  corn  to  eat,  and  even  then 
but  sparingly,  as  I  shall  say  afterwards  in  its  order ; 
for  I  lost  all  that  I  sowed  the  first  season,  by  not 
observing  the  proper  time ;  for  I  sowed  it  just  be- 
fore the  dry  season,  so  that  it  never  came  up  at  all, 
at  least  not  as  it  would  have  done ;  of  which  in  its 
place. 

Besides  this  barley,  there  was,  as  above,  twenty  or 
thirty  stalks  of  rice,  which  I  preserved  with  the  same 
care,  and  whose  use  was  of  the  same  kind,  or  to  the 
same  purpose,  viz.,  to  make  me  bread,  or  rather 
food  ;  for  I  found  ways  to  cook  it  up  without  baking, 
though  I  did  that  also  after  some  time.  But  to  re- 
turn to  my  journal. 

I  worked  excessive  hard  these  three  or  four  months 
to  get  my  wall  done;  and  the  14th  of  April  I  closed 
it  up,  contriving  to  go  into  it,  not  by  a  door,  but 
over  the  wall  by  a  ladder,  that  there  might  be  no 
sign  in  the  outside  of  my  habitation. 

April  16.  —  I  finished  the  ladder,  so  I  went  up 
with  the  ladder  to  the  top,  and  then  pulled  it  up 
after  me,  and  let  it  down  on  the  inside.  This  was 
a  complete  enclosure  to  me ;  for  within  I  had  room 
enough,  and  nothing  could  come  at  me  from  without, 
unless  it  could  first  mount  my  wall. 

The  very  next  day  after  this  wall  was  finished,  I 
had  almost  had  all  my  labour  overthrown  at  once,  and 
myself  killed.  The  case  was  thus  :  As  I  was  busy 
in  the  inside  of  it,  behind  my  tent,  just  in  the  en- 
trance into  my  cave,  I  was  terribly  frighted  with  a  most 
dreadful  surprising  thing  indeed  ;  for  all  on  a  sud- 
den I  found  the  earth  come  crumbling  down  from  the 
roof  of  my  cave,  and  from  the  edge  of  the  hill  over 
my  head,  and  two  of  the  posts  I  had  set  up  in  the 
cave  cracked  in  a  frightful  manner.  I  was  heartily 
scared,  but  thought  nothing  of  what  was  really  the 
cause,   only  thinking  that  the  top  of  my  cave  was 

[88] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

falling  in,  as  some  of  it  had  done  before  ;  and  for 
fear  I  should  be  buried  in  it,  I  ran  forward  to  my 
ladder  ;  and  not  thinking  myself  safe  there  neither, 
I  got  over  my  wall  for  fear  of  the  pieces  of  the  hill 
which  I  expected  might  roll  down  upon  me.  I  was 
no  sooner  stepped  down  upon  the  firm  ground,  but 
I  plainly  saw  it  was  a  terrible  earthquake ;  for  the 
ground  I  stood  on  shook  three  times  at  about  eight 
minutes'*  distance,  with  three  such  shocks,  as  would 
have  overturned  the  strongest  building  that  could 
be  supposed  to  have  stood  on  the  earth  ;  and  a  great 
piece  of  the  top  of  a  rock,  which  stood  about  half 
a  mile  from  me  next  the  sea,  fell  down  with  such  a 
terrible  noise,  as  I  never  heard  in  all  my  life.  I  per- 
ceived also  the  very  sea  was  put  into  violent  motion 
by  it ;  and  I  believe  the  shocks  were  stronger  under 
the  water  than  on  the  island. 

I  was  so  amazed  with  the  thing  itself,  having 
never  felt  the  like,  or  discoursed  with  any  one  that 
had,  that  I  was  like  one  dead  or  stupefied ;  and  the 
motion  of  the  earth  made  my  stomach  sick,  like  one 
that  was  tossed  at  sea.  But  the  noise  of  the  falling 
of  the  rock  awaked  me,  as  it  were,  and  rousing  me 
from  the  stupefied  condition  I  was  in,  filled  me  with 
horror,  and  I  thought  of  nothing  then  but  the  hill 
falling  upon  my  tent  and  all  my  household  goods, 
and  burying  all  at  once ;  and  this  sunk  my  very  soul 
within  me  a  second  time. 

After  the  third  shock  was  over,  and  I  felt  no  more 
for  some  time,  I  began  to  take  courage  ;  and  yet  I 
had  not  heart  enough  to  go  over  my  wall  again,  for 
fear  of  being  buried  alive,  but  sat  still  upon  the 
ground,  greatly  cast  down  and  disconsolate,  not 
knowing  what  to  do.  All  this  while  I  had  not  the 
least  serious  religious  thought,  nothing  but  the  com- 
mon, "  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  me  ! ,1  and  when  it  was 
over,  that  went  away  too. 

[89] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

While  I  sat  thus,  I  found  the  air  overcast,  and 
grow  cloudy,  as  if  it  would  rain.  Soon  after  that 
the  wind  rose  by  little  and  little,  so  that  in  less  than 
half-an-hour  it  blew  a  most  dreadful  hurricane.  The 
sea  was  all  on  a  sudden  covered  over  with  foam  and 
froth  ;  the  shore  was  covered  with  the  breach  of  the 
water  ;  the  trees  were  torn  up  by  the  roots ;  and  a 
terrible  storm  it  was :  and  this  held  about  three 
hours,  and  then  began  to  abate  ;  and  in  two  hours 
more  it  was  stark  calm,  and  began  to  rain  very  hard. 

All  this  while  I  sat  upon  the  ground,  very  much 
terrified  and  dejected  ;  when  on  a  sudden  it  came  into 
my  thoughts,  that  these  winds  and  rain  being  the 
consequences  of  the  earthquake,  the  earthquake  itself 
was  spent  and  over,  and  I  might  venture  into  my  cave 
again.  With  this  thought  my  spirits  began  to  re- 
vive; and  the  rain  also  helping  to  persuade  me,  I 
went  in  and  sat  down  in  my  tent.  But  the  rain  was 
so  violent,  that  my  tent  was  ready  to  be  beaten  down 
with  it,  and  I  was  forced  to  go  into  my  cave,  though 
very  much  afraid  and  uneasy,  for  fear  it  should  fall 
on   my  head. 

This  violent  rain  forced  me  to  a  new  work,  viz.,  to 
cut  a  hole  through  my  new  fortification,  like  a  sink, 
to  let  the  water  go  out,  which  would  else  have 
drowned  my  cave.  After  I  had  been  in  my  cave 
some  time,  and  found  still  no  more  shocks  of  the 
earthquake  follow,  I  began  to  be  more  composed. 
And  now  to  support  my  spirits,  which  indeed  wanted 
it  very  much,  I  went  to  my  little  store,  and  took  a 
small  sup  of  rum,  which,  however,  I  did  then,  and 
always,  very  sparingly,  knowing  I  could  have  no  more 
when  that  was  gone. 

It  continued  raining  all  that  night  and  great  part  of 
the  next  day,  so  that  I  could  not  stir  abroad  ;  but  my 
mind  being  more  composed,  I  began  to  think  of  what 
I  had  best  do,  concluding  that  if  the  island  was  sub- 

[90] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

ject  to  these  earthquakes,  there  would  be  no  living  for 
me  in  a  cave,  but  I  must  consider  of  building  me  some 
little  hut  in  an  open  place,  which  I  might  surround 
with  a  wall,  as  I  had  done  here,  and  so  make  myself 
secure  from  wild  beasts  or  men  ;  but  concluded,  if  I 
stayed  where  I  was,  I  should  certainly,  one  time  or 
other,  be  buried  alive. 

With  these  thoughts  I  resolved  to  remove  my  tent 
from  the  place  where  it  stood,  which  was  just  under 
the  hanging  precipice  of  the  hill,  and  which,  if  it 
should  be  shaken  again,  would  certainly  fall  upon  my 
tent ;  and  I  spent  the  two  next  days,  being  the  19th 
and  20th  of  April,  in  contriving  where  and  how  to 
remove  my  habitation. 

The  fear  of  being  swallowed  up  alive  made  me  that 
I  never  slept  in  quiet ;  and  yet  the  apprehension  of 
lying  abroad  without  any  fence  was  almost  equal  to 
it.  But  still,  when  I  looked  about  and  saw  how  every- 
thing was  put  in  order,  how  pleasantly  concealed  I 
was,  and  how  safe  from  danger,  it  made  me  very  loth 
to  remove. 

In  the  meantime  it  occurred  to  me  that  it  would 
require  a  vast  deal  of  time  for  me  to  do  this,  and  that 
I  must  be  contented  to  run  the  venture  where  I  was, 
till  I  had  formed  a  camp  for  myself,  and  had  secured 
it  so  as  to  remove  to  it.  So  with  this  resolution  I  com- 
posed myself  for  a  time,  and  resolved  that  I  would  go 
to  work  with  all  speed  to  build  me  a  wall  with  piles 
and  cables,  &c.,  in  a  circle  as  before,  and  set  my  tent 
up  in  it  when  it  was  finished,  but  that  I  would  ven- 
ture to  stay  where  I  was  till  it  was  finished,  and  fit 
to  remove  to.     This  was  the  21st. 

April  22.  —  The  next  morning  I  began  to  consider 
of  means  to  put  this  resolve  in  execution  ;  but  I  was 
at  a  great  loss  about  my  tools.  I  had  three  large 
axes,  and  abundance  of  hatchets  (for  we  carried  the 
hatchets  for  traffic  with  the  Indians),  but  with  much 

[91] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

chopping  and  catting  knotty  hard  wood,  they  were 
all  full  of  notches  and  dull  ;  and  though  I  had  a 
grindstone,  I  could  not  turn  it  and  grind  my  tools  too. 
This  cost  me  as  much  thought  as  a  statesman  would 
have  bestowed  upon  a  grand  point  of  politics,  or  a 
judge  upon  the  life  and  death  of  a  man.  At  length 
I  contrived  a  wheel  with  a  string,  to  turn  it  with  my 
foot,  that  I  might  have  both  my  hands  at  liberty. 
Note,  I  have  never  seen  any  such  thing  in  England, 
or  at  least  not  to  take  notice  how  it  was  done,  though 
since  I  have  observed  it  is  very  common  there ;  be- 
sides that,  my  grindstone  was  very  large  and  heavy. 
This  machine  cost  me  a  full  week's  work  to  bring  it 
to  perfection. 

April  28,  29.  —  These  two  whole  days  I  took  up 
in  grinding  my  tools,  my  machine  for  turning  my 
grindstone  performing  very  well. 

April  30.  —  Having  perceived  my  bread  had  been 
low  a  great  while,  now  I  took  a  survey  of  it,  and  re- 
duced myself  to  one  biscuit-cake  a  day,  which  made 
my  heart  very  heavy. 

May  1.  —  In  the  morning,  looking  towards  the 
seaside,  the  tide  being  low,  I  saw  something  lie  on 
the  shore  bigger  than  ordinary,  and  it  looked  like  a 
cask.  When  I  came  to  it,  I  found  a  small  barrel, 
and  two  or  three  pieces  of  the  wreck  of  the  ship, 
which  were  driven  on  shore  by  the  late  hurricane  ; 
and  looking  towards  the  wreck  itself,  I  thought  it 
seemed  to  lie  higher  out  of  the  water  than  it  used  to 
do.  I  examined  the  barrel  which  was  driven  on 
shore,  and  soon  found  it  was  a  barrel  of  gunpowder  ; 
but  it  had  taken  water,  and  the  powder  was  caked 
as  hard  as  a  stone.  However,  I  rolled  it  farther  on 
shore  for  the  present,  and  went  on  upon  the  sands  as 
near  as  I  could  to  the  wreck  of  the  ship  to  look  for 
more. 

When    I    came    down    to    the    ship    I    found    it 

[  98  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

strangely  removed.  The  forecastle,  which  lay  before 
buried  in  sand,  was  heaved  up  at  least  six  feet ;  and 
the  stern,  which  was  broken  to  pieces,  and  parted 
from  the  rest  by  the  force  of  the  sea  soon  after  I 
had  left  rummaging  her,  was  tossed,  as  it  were,  up, 
and  cast  on  one  side,  and  the  sand  was  thrown  so 
high  on  that  side  next  her  stern,  that  whereas  there 
was  a  great  place  of  water  before,  so  that  I  could 
not  come  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  wreck 
without  swimming,  I  could  now  walk  quite  up  to 
her  when  the  tide  was  out.  I  was  surprised  with 
this  at  first,  but  soon  concluded  it  must  be  done  by 
the  earthquake.  And  as  by  this  violence  the  ship 
was  more  broken  open  than  formerly,  so  many  things 
came  daily  on  shore,  which  the  sea  had  loosened,  and 
which  the  winds  and  water  rolled  by  degrees  to  the 
land. 

This  wholly  diverted  my  thoughts  from  the  de- 
sign of  removing  my  habitation  ;  and  I  busied 
myself  mightily,  that  day  especially,  in  searching 
whether  I  could  make  any  way  into  the  ship.  But 
I  found  nothing  was  to  be  expected  of  that  kind,  for 
that  all  the  inside  of  the  ship  was  choked  up  with  sand. 
However,  as  I  had  learned  not  to  despair  of  any- 
thing, I  resolved  to  pull  everything  to  pieces  that  I 
could  of  the  ship,  concluding,  that  everything  I  could 
get  from  her  would  be  of  some  use  or  other  to  me. 

May  3.  —  I  began  with  my  saw,  and  cut  a  piece 
of  a  beam  through,  which  I  thought  held  some  of 
the  upper  part  or  quarter-deck  together ;  and  when 
I  had  cut  it  through,  I  cleared  away  the  sand  as  well 
as  I  could  from  the  side  which  lay  highest ;  but  the 
tide  coming  in,  I  was  obliged  to  give  over  for  that 
time. 

May  4.  —  I  went  a-fishing,  but  caught  not  one 
fish  that  I  durst  eat  of,  till  I  was  weary  of  my  sport ; 
when,  just  going   to    leave  off,   I    caught  a  young 

[93] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

dolphin.  I  had  made  me  a  long  line  of  some  rope- 
yarn,  but  I  had  no  hooks  ;  yet  I  frequently  caught 
fish  enough,  as  much  as  I  cared  to  eat ;  all  which  I 
dried  in  the  sun,  and  eat  them  dry. 

May  5.  —  Worked  on  the  wreck,  cut  another 
beam  asunder,  and  brought  three  great  fir-planks 
off  from  the  decks,  which  I  tied  together,  and  made 
swim  on  shore,  when  the  tide  of  flood  came  on. 

May  6.  —  Worked  on  the  wreck,  got  several  iron 
bolts  out  of  her,  and  other  pieces  of  ironwork ; 
worked  very  hard,  and  came  home  very  much  tired, 
and  had  thoughts  of  giving  it  over. 

May  7.  —  Went  to  the  wreck  again,  but  with  an 
intent  not  to  work,  but  found  the  weight  of  the 
wreck  had  broke  itself  down,  the  beams  being  cut ; 
that  several  pieces  of  the  ship  seemed  to  lie  loose, 
and  the  inside  of  the  hold  lay  so  open,  that  I  could 
see  into  it,  but  almost  full  of  water  and  sand. 

May  8.  —  Went  to  the  wreck,  and  carried  an  iron 
crow  to  wrench  up  the  deck,  which  lay  now  quite 
clear  of  the  water  or  sand.  I  wrenched  open  two 
planks,  and  brought  them  on  shore  also  with  the 
tide.  I  left  the  iron  crow  in  the  wreck  for  next 
day. 

May  9.  —  Went  to  the  wreck,  and  with  the  crow 
made  way  into  the  body  of  the  wreck,  and  felt  sev- 
eral casks,  and  loosened  them  with  the  crow,  but 
could  not  break  them  up.  I  felt  also  the  roll  of 
English  lead,  and  could  stir  it,  but  it  was  too  heavy 
to  remove. 

May  10,  11,  \%  13,  14.  — Went  every  day  to  the 
wreck,  and  got  a  great  deal  of  pieces  of  timber,  and 
boards,  or  plank,  and  two  or  three  hundredweight  of 
iron. 

May  15.  —  I  carried  two  hatchets  to  try  if  I  could 
not  cut  a  piece  off  of  the  roll  of  lead,  by  placing  the 
edge  of  one  hatchet,  and  driving  it  with  the  other ; 

[94] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

but  as  it  lay  about  a  foot  and  a  half  in  the  water,  I 
could  not  make  any  blow  to  drive  the  hatchet. 

May  16.  —  It  had  blowed  hard  in  the  night,  and 
the  wreck  appeared  more  broken  by  the  force  of  the 
water ;  but  I  stayed  so  long  in  the  woods  to  get  pig- 
eons for  food,  that  the  tide  prevented  me  going  to 
the  wreck  that  day. 

May  17.  —  I  saw  some  pieces  of  the  wreck  blown 
on  shore,  at  a  great  distance,  near  two  miles  off  me, 
but  resolved  to  see  what  they  were,  and  found  it  was 
a  piece  of  the  head,  but  too  heavy  for  me  to  bring 
away. 

May  24.  —  Every  day  to  this  day  I  worked  on  the 
wreck,  and  with  hard  labour  I  loosened  some  things 
so  much  with  the  crow,  that  the  first  blowing  tide 
several  casks  floated  out,  and  two  of  the  seamen's 
chests.  But  the  wind  blowing  from  the  shore,  noth- 
ing came  to  land  that  day  but  pieces  of  timber,  and 
a  hogshead,  which  had  some  Brazil  pork  in  it,  but 
the  salt  water  and  the  sand  had  spoiled  it. 

I  continued  this  work  every  day  to  the  15th  of 
June,  except  the  time  necessary  to  get  food,  which 
I  always  appointed,  during  this  part  of  my  employ- 
ment, to  be  when  the  tide  was  up,  that  I  might  be 
ready  when  it  was  ebbed  out.  And  by  this  time  I 
had  gotten  timber,  and  plank,  and  ironwork  enough 
to  have  builded  a  good  boat,  if  I  had  known  how ; 
and  also,  I  got  at  several  times,  and  in  several  pieces, 
near  one  hundredweight  of  the  sheet  lead. 

June  16.  —  Going  down  to  the  seaside,  I  found  a 
large  tortoise,  or  turtle.  This  was  the  first  I  had 
seen,  which  it  seems  was  only  my  misfortune,  not  any 
defect  of  the  place,  or  scarcity ;  for  had  I  happened 
to  be  on  the  other  side  of  the  island,  I  might  have 
had  hundreds  of  them  every  day,  as  I  found  after- 
wards ;  but,  perhaps,  had  paid  dear  enough  for  them. 

June  17  I  spent  in  cooking  the  turtle.     I  found  in 

[95] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

her  threescore  eggs  ;  and  her  flesh  was  to  me,  at  that 
time,  the  most  savoury  and  pleasant  that  ever  I  tasted 
in  my  life,  having  had  no  flesh,  but  of  goats  and  fowls, 
since  I  landed  in  this  horrid  place. 

June  18.  —  Rained  all  day,  and  I  stayed  within. 
I  thought  at  this  time  the  rain  felt  cold,  and  I  was 
something  chilly,  which  I  knew  was  not  usual  in  that 
latitude. 

June  19.  —  Very  ill,  and  shivering,  as  if  the 
weather  had  been  cold. 

June  20.  — -  No  rest  all  night ;  violent  pains  in  my 
head,  and  feverish. 

June  21.  —  Very  ill,  frighted  almost  to  death  with 
the  apprehensions  of  my  sad  condition,  to  be  sick, 
and  no  help.  Prayed  to  God  for  the  first  time  since 
the  storm  off  of  Hull,  but  scarce  knew  what  I  said, 
or  why  ;  my  thoughts  being  all  confused. 

June  22.  —  A  little  better,  but  under  dreadful 
apprehensions  of  sickness. 

June  23.  —  Very  bad  again  ;  cold  and  shivering, 
and  then  a  violent  headache. 

June  24.  —  Much  better. 

June  25.  —  An  ague  very  violent ;  the  fit  held  me 
seven  hours  ;  cold  fit,  and  hot,  with  faint  sweats 
after  it. 

June  26.  —  Better  ;  and  having  no  victuals  to  eat, 
took  my  gun,  but  found  myself  very  weak.  How- 
ever, I  killed  a  she-goat,  and  with  much  difficulty 
got  it  home,  and  broiled  some  of  it,  and  eat.  I 
would  fain  have  stewed  it,  and  made  some  broth, 
but  had  no  pot. 

June  27.  —  The  ague  again  so  violent  that  I  lay 
abed  all  day,  and  neither  eat  or  drank.  I  was 
ready  to  perish  for  thirst ;  but  so  weak,  I  had  not 
strength  to  stand  up,  or  to  get  myself  any  water  to 
drink.  Prayed  to  God  again,  but  was  light-headed ; 
and  when  I  was  not,  I  was  so  ignorant  that  I  knew 

[96] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

not  what  to  say  ;  only  I  lay  and  cried,  "  Lord,  look 
upon  me  !  Lord,  pity  me  !  Lord,  have  mercy  upon 
me  !  "  I  suppose  I  did  nothing  else  for  two  or  three 
hours,  till  the  fit  wearing  off,  I  fell  asleep,  and  did 
not  wake  till  far  in  the  night.  When  I  waked,  I 
found  myself  much  refreshed,  but  weak,  and  exceed- 
ing thirsty.  However,  as  I  had  no  water  in  my 
whole  habitation,  I  was  forced  to  lie  till  morning, 
and  went  to  sleep  again.  In  this  second  sleep  I  had 
this  terrible  dream. 

I  thought  that  I  was  sitting  on  the  ground,  on  the 
outside  of  my  wall,  where  I  sat  when  the  storm  blew 
after  the  earthquake,  and  that  I  saw  a  man  descend 
from  a  great  black  cloud,  in  a  bright  flame  of  fire,  and 
light  upon  the  ground.  He  was  all  over  as  bright  as 
a  flame,  so  that  I  could  but  just  bear  to  look  towards 
him.  His  countenance  was  most  inexpressibly  dread- 
ful, impossible  for  words  to  describe.  When  he 
stepped  upon  the  ground  with  his  feet,  I  thought 
the  earth  trembled,  just  as  it  had  done  before  in  the 
earthquake,  and  all  the  air  looked,  to  my  apprehen- 
sion, as  if  it  had  been  filled  with  flashes  of  fire. 

He  was  no  sooner  landed  upon  the  earth,  but  he 
moved  forward  towards  me,  with  a  long  spear  or 
weapon  in  his  hand,  to  kill  me  ;  and  when  he  came 
to  a  rising  ground,  at  some  distance,  he  spoke  to 
me,  or  I  heard  a  voice  so  terrible,  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  express  the  terror  of  it.  All  that  I  can 
say  I  understood  was  this  :  "  Seeing  all  these  things 
have  not  brought  thee  to  repentance,  now  thou  shalt 
die  ; "  at  which  words  I  thought  he  lifted  up  the 
spear  that  was  in  his  hand  to  kill  me. 

No  one  that  shall  ever  read  this  account,  will  ex- 
pect that  I  should  be  able  to  describe  the  horrors  of 
my  soul  at  this  terrible  vision  ;  I  mean,  that  even 
while  it  was  a  dream,  I  even  dreamed  of  those 
horrors  ;  nor  is  it  any  more  possible  to  describe  the 
VOL.  i. -7  [97] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

impression   that  remained  upon  my  mind   when   I 
awaked,  and  found  it  was  but  a  dream. 

I  had,  alas !  no  divine  knowledge ;  what  I  had 
received  by  the  good  instruction  of  my  father  was 
then  worn  out,  by  an  uninterrupted  series,  for  eight 
years,  of  seafaring  wickedness,  and  a  constant  con- 
versation with  nothing  but  such  as  were,  like  myself, 
wicked  and  profane  to  the  last  degree.  I  do  not 
remember  that  I  had,  in  all  that  time,  one  thought 
that  so  much  as  tended  either  to  looking  upwards 
toward  God,  or  inwards  towards  a  reflection  upon 
my  ways  ;  but  a  certain  stupidity  of  soul,  without 
desire  of  good,  or  conscience  of  evil,  had  entirely 
overwhelmed  me ;  and  I  was  all  that  the  most 
hardened,  unthinking,  wicked  creature  among  our 
common  sailors  can  be  supposed  to  be  ;  not  having 
the  least  sense,  either  of  the  fear  of  God,  in  danger, 
or  of  thankfulness  to  God,  in  deliverances. 

In  the  relating  what  is  already  past  of  my  story, 
this  will  be  the  more  easily  believed,  when  I  shall 
add,  that  through  all  the  variety  of  miseries  that 
had  to  this  day  befallen  me,  I  never  had  so  much  as 
one  thought  of  it  being  the  hand  of  God,  or  that  it 
was  a  just  punishment  for  my  sin  ;  my  rebellious 
behaviour  against  my  father,  or  my  present  sins, 
which  were  great ;  or  so  much  as  a  punishment  for 
the  general  course  of  my  wicked  life.  When  I  was 
on  the  desperate  expedition  on  the  desert  shores  of 
Africa,  I  never  had  so  much  as  one  thought  of  what 
would  become  of  me ;  or  one  wish  to  God  to  direct 
me  whither  I  should  go,  or  to  keep  me  from  the 
danger  which  apparently  surrounded  me,  as  well 
from  voracious  creatures  as  cruel  savages.  But  I 
was  merely  thoughtless  of  a  God  or  a  Providence ; 
acted  like  a  mere  brute  from  the  principles  of  Nature, 
and  by  the  dictates  of  common  sense  only,  and  in- 
deed hardly  that. 

[98] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

When  I  was  delivered  and  taken  up  at  sea  by  the 
Portugal  captain,  well  used,  and  dealt  justly  and 
honourably  with,  as  well  as  charitably,  I  had  not  the 
least  thankfulness  in  my  thoughts.  When  again  I 
was  shipwrecked,  ruined,  and  in  danger  of  drowning 
on  this  island,  I  was  as  far  from  remorse,  or  looking  on 
it  as  a  judgment ;  I  only  said  to  myself  often,  that  I 
was  an  unfortunate  dog,  and  born  to  be  always 
miserable. 

It  is  true,  when  I  got  on  shore  first  here,  and 
found  all  my  ship's  crew  drowned,  and  myself  spared, 
I  was  surprised  with  a  kind  of  ecstasy,  and  some 
transports  of  soul,  which,  had  the  grace  of  God 
assisted,  might  have  come  up  to  true  thankfulness ; 
but  it  ended  where  it  begun,  in  a  mere  common 
flight  of  joy,  or,  as  I  may  say,  being  glad  I  was 
alive,  without  the  least  reflection  upon  the  distin- 
guishing goodness  of  the  hand  which  had  preserved 
me,  and  had  singled  me  out  to  be  preserved,  when 
all  the  rest  were  destroyed ;  or  an  inquiry  why  Provi- 
dence had  been  thus  merciful  to  me ;  even  just  the 
same  common  sort  of  joy  which  seamen  generally 
have  after  they  are  got  safe  ashore  from  a  ship- 
wreck, which  they  drown  all  in  the  next  bowl  of 
punch,  and  forget  almost  as  soon  as  it  is  over,  and 
all  the  rest  of  my  life  was  like  it. 

Even  when  I  was  afterwards,  on  due  consideration, 
made  sensible  of  my  condition,  how  I  was  cast  on 
this  dreadful  place,  out  of  the  reach  of  human  kind, 
out  of  all  hope  of  relief,  or  prospect  of  redemption, 
as  soon  as  I  saw  but  a  prospect  of  living,  and  that 
I  should  not  starve  and  perish  for  hunger,  all  the 
sense  of  my  affliction  wore  off,  and  I  began  to  be  very 
easy,  applied  myself  to  the  works  proper  for  my 
preservation  and  supply,  and  was  far  enough  from 
being  afflicted  at  my  condition,  as  a  judgment  from 
heaven,  or  as  the  hand  of  God  against  me  ;  these 

[99] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

were  thoughts  which  very  seldom  entered  into  my 
head. 

The  growing  up  of  the  corn,  as  is  hinted  in  my 
journal,  had  at  first  some  little  influence  upon  me, 
and  began  to  affect  me  with  seriousness,  as  long  as  I 
thought  it  had  something  miraculous  in  it ;  but  as 
soon  as  ever  that  part  of  the  thought  was  removed, . 
all  the  impression  which  was  raised  from  it  wore  off 
also,  as  I  have  noted  already. 

Even  the  earthquake,  though  nothing  could  be 
more  terrible  in  its  nature,  or  more  immediately 
directing  to  the  invisible  Power,  which  alone  directs 
such  things,  yet  no  sooner  was  the  first  fright  over, 
but  the  impression  it  had  made  wrent  off  also.  I  had 
no  more  sense  of  God  or  His  judgments,  much  less 
of  the  present  affliction  of  my  circumstances  being 
from  His  hand,  than  if  I  had  been  in  the  most  pros- 
perous condition  of  life. 

But  now,  when  I  began  to  be  sick,  and  a  leisurely 
view  of  the  miseries  of  death  came  to  place  itself  be- 
fore me ;  when  my  spirits  began  to  sink  under  the 
burthen  of  a  strong  distemper,  and  Nature  was  ex- 
hausted with  the  violence  of  the  fever ;  conscience, 
that  had  slept  so  long,  began  to  awake,  and  I  began 
to  reproach  myself  with  my  past  life,  in  which  I  had 
so  evidently,  by  uncommon  wickedness,  provoked  the 
justice  of  God  to  lay  me  under  uncommon  strokes, 
and  to  deal  with  me  in  so  vindictive  a  manner. 

These  reflections  oppressed  me  for  the  second  or 
third  day  of  my  distemper  ;  and  in  the  violence,  as 
well  of  the  fever  as  of  the  dreadful  reproaches  of  my 
conscience,  extorted  some  words  from  me,  like  pray- 
ing to  God,  though  I  cannot  say  they  were  either  a 
prayer  attended  with  desires  or  with  hopes ;  it  was 
rather  the  voice  of  mere  fright  and  distress.  My 
thoughts  were  confused,  the  convictions  great  upon 
my  mind,  and  the  horror  of  dying  in  such  a  miser- 

[100] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

able  condition,  raised  vapours  into  my  head  with  the 
mere  apprehensions  ;  and  in  these  hurries  of  my  soul, 
I  know  not  what  my  tongue  might  express  ;  but  it 
was  rather  exclamation,  such  as,  "  Lord  !  what  a 
miserable  creature  am  I !  If  I  should  be  sick,  I  shall 
cex^tainly  die  for  want  of  help  ;  and  what  will  become 
of  me  ?  ""  Then  the  tears  burst  out  of  my  eyes,  and 
I  could  say  no  more  for  a  good  while. 

In  this  interval,  the  good  advice  of  my  father  came 
to  my  mind,  and  presently  his  prediction,  which  I 
mentioned  at  the  beginning  of  this  story,  viz.,  that 
if  I  did  take  this  foolish  step,  God  would  not  bless 
me,  and  I  would  have  leisure  hereafter  to  reflect  upon 
having  neglected  his  counsel,  when  there  might  be 
none  to  assist  in  my  recovery.  "  Now,"  said  I  aloud, 
"  my  dear  father's  words  are  come  to  pass ;  God's 
justice  has  overtaken  me,  and  I  have  none  to  help  or 
hear  me.  I  rejected  the  voice  of  Providence,  wrhich 
had  mercifully  put  me  in  a  posture  or  station  of  life 
wherein  I  might  have  been  happy  and  easy ;  but  I 
would  neither  see  it  myself,  or  learn  to  know  the 
blessings  of  it  from  my  parents.  I  left  them  to  mourn 
over  my  folly,  and  now  I  am  left  to  mourn  under  the 
consequences  of  it.  I  refused  their  help  and  assist- 
ance, who  would  have  lifted  me  into  the  world,  and 
would  have  made  everything  easy  to  me  ;  and  now  I 
have  difficulties  to  struggle  with,  too  great  for  even 
Nature  itself  to  support,  and  no  assistance,  no  help, 
no  comfort,  no  advice.'1  Then  I  cried  out,  "  Lord, 
be  my  help,  for  I  am  in  great  distress." 

This  was  the  first  prayer,  if  I  may  call  it  so,  that 
I  had  made  for  many  years.  But  I  return  to  my 
journal. 

June  28.  —  Having  been  somewhat  refreshed  with 
the  sleep  I  had  had,  and  the  fit  being  entirely  off,  I 
got  up  ;  and  though  the  fright  and  terror  of  my 
dream  was  verv  great,  yet  I  considered  that  the  fit 

[101] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

of  the  ague  would  return  again  the  next  day,  and 
now  was  my  time  to  get  something  to  refresh  and 
support  myself  when  I  should  be  ill.  And  the  first 
thing  I  did  I  filled  a  large  square  case-bottle  with 
water,  and  set  it  upon  my  table,  in  reach  of  my  bed ; 
and  to  take  off  the  chill  or  aguish  disposition  of  the 
water,  I  put  about  a  quarter  of  a  pint  of  rum  into  it, 
and  mixed  them  together.  Then  I  got  me  a  piece 
of  the  goat's  flesh,  and  broiled  it  on  the  coals,  but 
could  eat  very  little.  I  walked  about,  but  was  very 
weak,  and  withal  very  sad  and  heavy-hearted  in  the 
sense  of  my  miserable  condition,  dreading  the  return 
of  my  distemper  the  next  day.  At  night  I  made  my 
supper  of  three  of  the  turtle's  eggs,  which  I  roasted 
in  the  ashes,  and  eat,  as  we  call  it,  in  the  shell ;  and 
this  was  the  first  bit  of  meat  I  had  ever  asked  God's 
blessing  to,  even  as  I  could  remember,  in  my  whole 
life. 

After  I  had  eaten,  I  tried  to  walk,  but  found  my- 
self so  weak,  that  I  could  hardly  carry  the  gun  (for  I 
never  went  out  without  that)  ;  so  I  went  but  a  little 
way,  and  sat  down  upon  the  ground,  looking  out  upon 
the  sea,  which  was  just  before  me,  and  very  calm  and 
smooth.  As  I  sat  here,  some  such  thoughts  as  these 
occurred  to  me. 

What  is  this  earth  and  sea,  of  which  I  have  seen 
so  much  ?  whence  is  it  produced  ?  And  what  am  I, 
and  all  the  other  creatures,  wild  and  tame,  human 
and  brutal,  whence  are  we  ?  Sure  we  are  all  made 
by  some  secret  Power,  who  formed  the  earth  and  sea, 
the  air  and  sky.     And  who  is  that  ? 

Then  it  followed  most  naturally,  It  is  God  that  has 
made  it  all.  Well,  but  then  it  came  on  strangely, 
if  God  has  made  all  these  things,  He  guides  and 
governs  them  all,  and  all  things  that  concern  them  ; 
for  the  Power  that  could  make  all  things,  must 
certainly  have  power  to  guide  and  direct  them. 

[  102] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

If  so,  nothing  can  happen  in  the  great  circuit  of 
His  works,  either  without  His  knowledge  or  appoint- 
ment. And  if  nothing  happens  without  His  knowl- 
edge, He  knows  that  I  am  here,  and  am  in  this 
dreadful  condition.  And  if  nothing  happens  without 
His  appointment,  He  has  appointed  all  this  to  befall 
me. 

Nothing  occurred  to  my  thoughts  to  contradict 
any  of  these  conclusions  ;  and  therefore  it  rested 
upon  me,  with  the  greater  force,  that  it  must  needs 
be  that  God  had  appointed  all  this  to  befall  me  ; 
that  I  was  brought  to  this  miserable  circumstance 
by  His  direction,  He  having  the  sole  power,  not 
of  me  only,  but  of  everything  that  happened  in 
the  world.  Immediately  it  followed,  Why  has  God 
done  this  to  me  ?  What  have  I  done  to  be  thus 
used  ? 

My  conscience  presently  checked  me  in  that  inquiry, 
as  if  I  had  blasphemed,  and  methought  it  spoke  to 
me  like  a  voice  :  "  Wretch  !  dost  thou  ask  what  thou 
hast  done  ?  Look  back  upon  a  dreadful  misspent 
life,  and  ask  thyself  what  thou  hast  not  done  ?  Ask, 
why  is  it  that  thou  wert  not  long  ago  destroyed  ? 
Why  wert  thou  not  drowned  in  Yarmouth  Roads  ; 
killed  in  the  fight  when  the  ship  was  taken  by  the 
Sallee  man-of-war  ;  devoured  by  the  wild  beasts  on 
the  coast  of  Africa ;  or  drowned  here,  when  all  the 
crew  perished  but  thyself?  Dost  thou  ask,  What 
have  I  done  ?  " 

I  was  struck  dumb  with  these  reflections,  as  one 
astonished,  and  had  not  a  word  to  say,  no,  not  to 
answer  to  myself,  but  rose  up  pensive  and  sad,  walked 
back  to  my  retreat,  and  went  up  over  my  wall,  as  if 
I  had  been  going  to  bed.  But  my  thoughts  were 
sadly  disturbed,  and  I  had  no  inclination  to  sleep  ; 
so  I  sat  down  in  my  chair,  and  lighted  my  lamp,  for 
it  began  to  be  dark.     Now,  as  the  apprehension  of 

[  103] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

the  return  of  my  distemper  terrified  me  very  much, 
it  occurred  to  my  thought  that  the  Brazilians  take 
no  physic  but  their  tobacco  for  almost  all  distempers  ; 
and  I  had  a  piece  of  a  roll  of  tobacco  in  one  of  the 
chests,  which  was  quite  cured,  and  some  also  that  was 
green,  and  not  quite  cured. 

I  went,  directed  by  Heaven  no  doubt ;  for  in  this 
chest  I  found  a  cure  both  for  soul  and  body.  I 
opened  the  chest,  and  found  what  I  looked  for,  viz., 
the  tobacco  ;  and  as  the  few  books  I  had  saved  lay 
there  too,  I  took  out  one  of  the  Bibles  which  I  men- 
tioned before,  and  which  to  this  time  I  had  not  found 
leisure,  or  so  much  as  inclination,  to  look  into.  I 
say,  I  took  it  out,  and  brought  both  that  and  the 
tobacco  with  me  to  the  table. 

What  use  to  make  of  the  tobacco  I  knew  not,  as 
to  my  distemper,  or  whether  it  was  good  for  it  or  no  ; 
but  I  tried  several  experiments  with  it,  as  if  I  was 
resolved  it  should  hit  one  way  or  other.  I  first  took 
a  piece  of  a  leaf,  and  chewed  it  in  my  mouth,  which 
indeed  at  first  almost  stupefied  my  brain,  the  tobacco 
being  green  and  strong,  and  that  I  had  not  been  much 
used  to  it.  Then  I  took  some  and  steeped  it  an  hour 
or  two  in  some  rum,  and  resolved  to  take  a  dose  of 
it  when  I  lay  down.  And  lastly,  I  burnt  some  upon 
a  pan  of  coals,  and  held  my  nose  close  over  the  smoke 
of  it  as  long  as  I  could  bear  it,  as  well  for  the  heat, 
as  almost  for  suffocation. 

In  the  interval  of  this  operation,  I  took  up  the 
Bible,  and  began  to  read,  but  my  head  was  too  much 
disturbed  with  the  tobacco  to  bear  reading,  at  least 
that  time ;  only  having  opened  the  book  casually,  the 
first  words  that  occurred  to  me  were  these,  "  Call  on 
Me  in  the  day  of  trouble,  and  I  will  deliver,  and  thou 
shalt  glorify  Me." 

The  words  were  very  apt  to  my  case,  and  made 
some  impression  upon  my  thoughts  at  the  time  of 

[104] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

reading  them,  though  not  so  much  as  they  did  after- 
wards ;  for  as  for  being  delivered,  the  word  had  no 
sound,  as  I  may  say,  to  me,  the  thing  was  so  remote, 
so  impossible  in  my  apprehension  of  things,  that  I 
began  to  say,  as  the  children  of  Israel  did  when  they 
were  promised  flesh  to  eat,  "  Can  God  spread  a  table 
in  the  wilderness  ?  "  so  I  began  to  say,  Can  God  Him- 
self deliver  me  from  this  place.  And  as  it  was  not  for 
many  years  that  any  hope  appeared,  this  prevailed 
very  often  upon  my  thoughts.  But,  however,  the 
words  made  a  great  impression  upon  me,  and  I  mused 
upon  them  very  often. 

It  grew  now  late,  and  the  tobacco  had,  as  I  said, 
dozed  my  head  so  much,  that  I  inclined  to  sleep  ;  so 
I  left  my  lamp  burning  in  the  cave,  lest  I  should 
want  anything  in  the  night,  and  went  to  bed.  But 
before  I  lay  down,  I  did  what  I  never  had  done  in  all 
my  life  ;  I  kneeled  down,  and  prayed  to  God  to  ful- 
fil the  promise  to  me,  that  if  I  called  upon  Him  in 
the  day  of  trouble,  He  would  deliver  me.  After  my 
broken  and  imperfect  prayer  was  over,  I  drank  the 
rum  in  which  I  had  steeped  the  tobacco  ;  which  was 
so  strong  and  rank  of  the  tobacco,  that  indeed  I  could 
scarce  get  it  down.  Immediately  upon  this  I  went 
to  bed.  I  found  presently  it  flew  up  in  my  head 
violently  ;  but  I  fell  into  a  sound  sleep,  and  waked 
no  more  till,  by  the  sun,  it  must  necessarily  be  near 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  next  day.  Nay, 
to  this  hour  I  am  partly  of  the  opinion  that  I  slept 
all  the  next  day  and  night,  and  till  almost  three  that 
day  after  ;  for  otherwise  I  knew  not  how  I  should  lose 
a  day  out  of  my  reckoning  in  the  days  of  the  week, 
as  it  appeared  some  years  after  I  had  done.  For  if 
I  had  lost  it  by  crossing  and  recrossing  the  line,  I 
should  have  lost  more  than  one  day.  But  certainly 
I  lost  a  day  in  my  account,  and  never  knew  which 
way. 

[105] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

Be  that,  however,  one  way  or  the  other,  when  I 
awaked  I  found  myself  exceedingly  refreshed,  and 
my  spirits  lively  and  cheerful.  When  I  got  up,  I 
was  stronger  than  I  was  the  day  before,  and  my 
stomach  better,  for  I  was  hungry ;  and,  in  short,  I 
had  no  fit  the  next  day,  but  continued  much  altered 
for  the  better.     This  was  the  29th. 

The  30th  was  my  well  day,  of  course,  and  I  went 
abroad  with  my  gun,  but  did  not  care  to  travel  too 
far.  I  killed  a  sea-fowl  or  two,  something  like  a 
brand-goose,  and  brought  them  home,  but  was  not 
very  forward  to  eat  them  ;  so  I  eat  some  more  of  the 
turtle's  eggs,  which  were  very  good.  This  evening  I 
renewed  the  medicine,  which  I  had  supposed  did  me 
good  the  day  before,  viz.,  the  tobacco  steeped  in  rum  ; 
only  I  did  not  take  so  much  as  before,  nor  did  I  chew 
any  of  the  leaf,  or  hold  my  head  over  the  smoke. 
However,  I  was  not  so  well  the  next  day,  which  was 
the  first  of  July,  as  I  hoped  I  should  have  been ;  for 
I  had  a  little  spice  of  the  cold  fit,  but  it  was  not 
much. 

July  %.  —  I  renewed  the  medicine  all  the  three 
ways ;  and  dosed  myself  with  it  as  at  first,  and 
doubled  the  quantity   which  I  drank. 

July  S.  —  I  missed  the  fit  for  good  and  all,  though 
I  did  not  recover  my  full  strength  for  some  weeks 
after.  While  I  was  thus  gathering  strength,  my 
thoughts  ran  exceedingly  upon  this  Scripture,  "I 
will  deliver  thee;"  and  the  impossibility  of  my  de- 
liverance lay  much  upon  my  mind,  in  bar  of  my  ever 
expecting  it.  But  as  I  was  discouraging  myself  with 
such  thoughts,  it  occurred  to  my  mind  that  I  pored 
so  much  upon  my  deliverance  from  the  main  afflic- 
tion, that  I  disregarded  the  deliverance  I  had  re- 
ceived ;  and  I  was,  as  it  were,  made  to  ask  myself 
such  questions  as  these,  viz.,  Have  I  not  been  deliv- 
ered, and  wonderfully  too,  from  sickness  ?  from  the 

[106] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

most  distressed  condition  that  could  be,  and  that 
was  so  frightful  to  me  ?  and  what  notice  had  I  taken 
of  it  ?  Had  I  done  my  part  ?  God  had  delivered 
me,  but  I  had  not  glorified  Him  ;  that  is  to  say,  I 
had  not  owned  and  been  thankful  for  that  as  a  deliv- 
erance ;  and  how  could  I  expect  greater  deliverance  ? 

This  touched  my  heart  very  much ;  and  immedi- 
ately I  kneeled  down,  and  gave  God  thanks  aloud 
for  my  recovery  from  my  sickness. 

July  4. — In  the  morning  I  took  the  Bible;  and 
beginning  at  the  New  Testament,  I  began  seriously 
to  read  it,  and  imposed  upon  myself  to  read  awhile 
every  morning  and  every  night,  not  tying  myself  to 
the  number  of  chapters,  but  as  long  as  my  thoughts 
should  engage  me.  It  was  not  long  after  I  set  seri- 
ously to  this  work,  but  I  found  my  heart  more  deeply 
and  sincerely  affected  with  the  wickedness  of  my  past 
life.  The  impression  of  my  dream  revived,  and  the 
words,  "  All  these  things  have  not  brought  thee  to 
repentance,"  ran  seriously  in  my  thought.  I  was 
earnestly  begging  of  God  to  give  me  repentance, 
when  it  happened  providentially,  the  very  day,  that, 
reading  the  Scripture,  I  came  to  these  words,  "  He 
is  exalted  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  to  give  repent- 
ance, and  to  give  remission."  I  threw  down  the 
book ;  and  with  my  heart  as  well  as  my  hands  lifted 
up  to  heaven,  in  a  kind  of  ecstasy  of  joy,  I  cried  out 
aloud,  "  Jesus,  Thou  son  of  David !  Jesus,  Thou 
exalted  Prince  and  Saviour,  give  me  repentance ! " 

This  was  the  first  time  that  I  could  say,  in  the 
true  sense  of  the  words,  that  I  prayed  in  all  my  life ; 
for  now  I  prayed  with  a  sense  of  my  condition,  and 
with  a  true  Scripture  view  of  hope  founded  on  the 
encouragement  of  the  Word  of  God ;  and  from  this 
time,  I  may  say,  I  began  to  have  hope  that  God 
would  hear  me. 

Now  I  began   to   construe  the  words  mentioned 

[  107] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

above,  "  Call  on  Me,  and  I  will  deliver  you,"  in  a 
different  sense  from  what  I  had  ever  done  before ; 
for  then  I  had  no  notion  of  anything  being  called 
deliverance  but  my  being  delivered  from  the  captiv- 
ity I  was  in ;  for  though  I  was  indeed  at  large  in  the 
place,  yet  the  island  was  certainly  a  prison  to  me, 
and  that  in  the  worst  sense  in  the  world.  But  now 
I  learned  to  take  it  in  another  sense  ;  now  I  looked 
back  upon  my  past  life  with  such  horror,  and  my 
sins  appeared  so  dreadful,  that  my  soul  sought  noth- 
ing of  God  but  deliverance  from  the  load  of  guilt 
that  bore  down  all  my  comfort.  As  for  my  solitary 
life,  it  was  nothing  ;  I  did  not  so  much  as  pray  to 
be  delivered  from  it,  or  think  of  it ;  it  was  all  of  no 
consideration,  in  comparison  to  this.  And  I  add 
this  part  here,  to  hint  to  whoever  shall  read  it,  that 
whenever  they  come  to  a  true  sense  of  things,  they 
will  find  deliverance  from  sin  a  much  greater  blessing 
than  deliverance  from  affliction. 

But  leaving  this  part,  I  return  to  my  journal. 

My  condition  began  now  to  be,  though  not  less 
miserable  as  to  my  way  of  living,  yet  much  easier  to 
my  mind ;  and  my  thoughts  being  directed,  by  a 
constant  reading  the  Scripture,  and  praying  to  God, 
to  things  of  a  higher  nature,  I  had  a  great  deal  of 
comfort  within,  which,  till  now,  I  knew  nothing  of. 
Also,  as  my  health  and  strength  returned,  I  bestirred 
myself  to  furnish  myself  with  everything  that  I 
wanted,  and  make  my  way  of  living  as  regular  as 
I  could. 

From  the  4th  of  July  to  the  14th,  I  was  chiefly 
employed  in  walking  about  with  my  gun  in  my 
hand,  a  little  and  a  little  at  a  time,  as  a  man  that 
was  gathering  up  his  strength  after  a  fit  of  sickness ; 
for  it  is  hardly  to  be  imagined  how  low  I  was,  and 
to  what  weakness  I  was  reduced.  The  application 
which  I  made  use  of  was  perfectly  new,  and  perhaps 

[108] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

what  had  never  cured  an  ague  before ;  neither  can  I 
recommend  it  to  any  one  to  practise,  by  this  experi- 
ment ;  and  though  it  did  carry  off  the  fit,  yet  it 
rather  contributed  to  weakening  me ;  for  I  had  fre- 
quent convulsions  in  my  nerves  and  limbs  for  some 
time. 

I  learnt  from  it  also  this,  in  particular,  that  being 
abroad  in  the  rainy  season  was  the  most  pernicious 
thing  to  my  health  that  could  be,  especially  in  those 
rains  which  came  attended  with  storms  and  hurri- 
canes of  wind;  for  as  the  rain  which  came  in  the 
dry  season  was  always  most  accompanied  with  such 
storms,  so  I  found  that  rain  was  much  more  danger- 
ous than  the  rain  which  fell  in  September  and 
October. 

I  had  been  now  in  this  unhappy  island  above  ten 
months ;  all  possibility  of  deliverance  from  this  con- 
dition seemed  to  be  entirely  taken  from  me ;  and  I 
firmly  believed  that  no  human  shape  had  ever  set 
foot  upon  that  place.  Having  now  secured  my  hab- 
itation, as  I  thought,  fully  to  my  mind,  I  had  a  great 
desire  to  make  a  more  perfect  discovery  of  the  island, 
and  to  see  what  other  productions  I  might  find,  which 
I  yet  knew  nothing  of. 

It  was  the  15th  of  July  that  I  began  to  take  a 
more  particular  survey  of  the  island  itself.  I  went 
up  the  creek  first,  where,  as  I  hinted,  I  brought  my 
rafts  on  shore.  I  found,  after  I  came  about  two 
miles  up,  that  the  tide  did  not  flow  any  higher,  and 
that  it  was  no  more  than  a  little  brook  of  running 
water,  and  very  fresh  and  good ;  but  this  being  the 
dry  season,  there  was  hardly  any  water  in  some  parts 
of  it,  at  least,  not  enough  to  run  in  any  stream,  so  as 
it  could  be  perceived. 

On  the  bank  of  this  brook  I  found  many  pleasant 
savannas  or  meadows,  plain,  smooth,  and  covered 
with  grass ;   and  on  the  rising  parts  of  them,  next 

[109] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  the  higher  grounds,  where  the  water,  as  might  be 
supposed,  never  overflowed,  I  found  a  great  deal  of 
tobacco,  green,  and  growing  to  a  great  and  very 
strong  stalk.  There  were  divers  other  plants,  which 
I  had  no  notion  of,  or  understanding  about,  and 
might,  perhaps  have  virtues  of  their  own,  which  I 
could  not  find  out. 

I  searched  for  the  cassava  root,  which  the  Indians, 
in  all  that  climate,  make  their  bread  of,  but  I  could 
find  none.  I  saw  large  plants  of  aloes,  but  did  not 
then  understand  them.  I  saw  several  sugar-canes, 
but  wild,  and,  for  want  of  cultivation,  imperfect.  I 
contented  myself  with  these  discoveries  for  this 
time,    and    came    back,    musing    with    myself  what 

course  I  might  take  to  know  the  virtue  and  goodness 

"  — 

of  any  of  the  fruits  or  plants  which  I  should  dis- 
cover ;  but  could  bring  it  to  no  conclusion  ;  for,  in 
short,  I  had  made  so  little  observation  while  I  was 
in  the  Brazils,  that  I  knew  little  of  the  plants  in  the 
field,  at  least  very  little  that  might  serve  me  to  any 
purpose  now  in  my  distress. 

The  next  day,  the  16th,  I  went  up  the  same  way 
again  ;  and  after  going  something  farther  than  I  had 
gone  the  day  before,  I  found  the  brook  and  the 
savannas  began  to  cease,  and  the  country  became 
more  woody  than  before.  In  this  part  I  found  dif- 
ferent fruits,  and  particularly  I  found  melons  upon 
the  ground  in  great  abundance,  and  grapes  upon  the 
trees.  The  vines  had  spread  indeed  over  the  trees, 
and  the  clusters  of  grapes  were  just  now  in  their 
prime,  very  ripe  and  rich.  This  was  a  surprising 
discovery,  and  I  was  exceeding  glad  of  them  ;  but 
I  was  warned  by  my  experience  to  eat  sparingly 
of  them,  remembering  that  when  I  was  ashore  in 
Barbary  the  eating  of  grapes  killed  several  of  our 
Englishmen,  who  were  slaves  there,  by  throwing 
them  into  fluxes  and  fevers.     But  I  found  an  excel- 

[110] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

lent  use  for  these  grapes  ;  and  that  was,  to  cure  or 
dry  them  in  the  sun,  and  keep  them  as  dried  grapes 
or  raisins  are  kept,  which  I  thought  would  be,  as 
indeed  they  were,  as  wholesome  as  agreeable  to  eat, 
when  no  grapes  might  be  to  be  had. 

I  spent  all  that  evening  there,  and  went  not  back 
to  my  habitation  ;  which,  by  the  way,  was  the  first 
night,  as  I  might  say,  I  had  lain  from  home.  In 
the  night,  I  took  my  first  contrivance,  and  got  up 
into  a  tree,  where  I  slept  well ;  and  the  next  morn- 
ing proceeded  upon  my  discovery,  travelling  near 
four  miles,  as  I  might  judge  by  the  length  of  the 
valley,  keeping  still  due  north,  with  a  ridge  of  hills 
on  the  south  and  north  side  of  me. 

At  the  end  of  this  march  I  came  to  an  opening, 
where  the  country  seemed  to  descend  to  the  west ; 
and  a  little  spring  of  fresh  water,  which  issued  out 
of  the  side  of  the  hill  by  me,  ran  the  other  way,  that 
is,  due  east ;  and  the  country  appeared  so  fresh,  so 
green,  so  flourishing,  everything  being  in  a  constant 
verdure  or  flourish  of  spring,  that  it  looked  like  a 
planted  garden. 

I  descended  a  little  on  the  side  of  that  delicious 
vale,  surveying  it  with  a  secret  kind  of  pleasure, 
though  mixed  with  my  other  afflicting  thoughts,  to 
think  that  this  was  all  my  own ;  that  I  was  king  and 
lord  of  all  this  country  indefeasibly,  and  had  a  right 
of  possession  ;  and,  if  I  could  convey  it,  I  might  have 
it  in  inheritance  as  completely  as  any  lord  of  a  manor 
in  England.  I  saw  here  abundance  of  cocoa  trees, 
orange,  and  lemon,  and  citron  trees  ;  but  all  wild, 
and  very  few  bearing  any  fruit,  at  least  not  then. 
However,  the  green  limes  that  I  gathered  were  not 
only  pleasant  to  eat,  but  very  wholesome ;  and  I 
mixed  their  juice  afterwards  with  water,  which  made 
it  very  wholesome,  and  very  cool  and  refreshing. 

I  found  now  I  had  business  enough  to  gather  and 

[in] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

carry  home ;  and  I  resolved  to  lay  up  a  store,  as  well 
of  grapes  as  limes  and  lemons  to  furnish  myself  for 
the  wet  season,  which  I  knew  was  approaching. 

In  order  to  this,  I  gathered  a  great  heap  of  grapes 
in  one  place,  and  a  lesser  heap  in  another  place,  and 
a  great  parcel  of  limes  and  lemons  in  another  place  ; 
and,  taking  a  few  of  each  with  me,  I  travelled  home- 
ward ;  and  resolved  to  come  again,  and  bring  a  bag 
or  sack,  or  what  I  could  make,  to  carry  the  rest 
home. 

Accordingly,  having  spent  three  days  in  this 
journey,  I  came  home  (so  I  must  now  call  my  tent 
and  my  cave) ;  but  before  I  got  thither,  the  grapes 
were  spoiled ;  the  richness  of  the  fruits,  and  the 
weight  of  the  juice,  having  broken  them  and  bruised 
them,  they  were  good  for  little  or  nothing :  as  to  the 
limes,  they  were  good,  but  I  could  bring  but  a  few. 

The  next  day,  being  the  19th,  I  went  back,  hav- 
ing made  me  two  small  bags  to  bring  home  my 
harvest ;  but  I  was  surprised,  when,  coming  to  my 
heap  of  grapes,  which  were  so  rich  and  fine  when  1 
gathered  them,  I  found  them  all  spread  about,  trod 
to  pieces,  and  dragged  about,  some  here,  some  there, 
and  abundance  eaten  and  devoured.  By  this  I  con- 
cluded there  were  some  wild  creatures  thereabouts, 
which  had  done  this ;  but  what  they  were,  I  knew 
not. 

However,  as  I  found  that  there  was  no  laying 
them  up  on  heaps,  and  no  carrying  them  away  in  a 
sack,  but  that  one  way  they  would  be  destroyed, 
and  the  other  way  they  would  be  crushed  with  their 
own  weight,  I  took  another  course  ;  for  I  gathered  a 
large  quantity  of  the  grapes,  and  hwng  them  up 
upon  the  out-branches  of  the  trees,  that  they  might 
cure  and  dry  in  the  sun  ;  and  as  for  the  limes  and 
lemons,  I  carried  as  many  back  as  I  could  well  stand 
under. 

[112] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

When  I  came  home  from  this  journey,  I  con- 
templated with  great  pleasure  the  fruitfulness  of  that 
valley,  and  the  pleasantness  of  the  situation  ;  the 
security  from  storms  on  that  side  the  water  and  the 
wood  ;  and  concluded  that  I  had  pitched  upon  a 
place  to  fix  my  abode,  which  was  by  far  the  worst 
part  of  the  country.  Upon  the  whole,  I  began  to  con- 
sider of  removing  my  habitation,  and  to  look  out  for 
a  place  equally  safe  as  where  I  now  was  situate,  if 
possible,  in  that  pleasant  fruitful  part  of  the  island. 

This  thought  ran  long  in  my  head,  and  I  was 
exceeding  fond  of  it  for  some  time,  the  pleasantness 
of  the  place  tempting  me ;  but  when  I  came  to  a 
nearer  view  of  it,  and  to  consider  that  I  was  now  by 
the  seaside,  where  it  was  at  least  possible  that  some- 
thing might  happen  to  my  advantage,  and,  by  the 
same  ill  fate  that  brought  me  hither,  might  bring 
some  other  unhappy  wretches  to  the  same  place;  and 
though  it  was  scarce  probable  that  any  such  thing 
should  ever  happen,  yet  to  enclose  myself  among  the 
hills  and  woods  in  the  centre  of  the  island,  was  to 
anticipate  my  bondage,  and  to  render  such  an  affair 
not  only  improbable,  but  impossible;  and  that  there- 
fore I  ought  not  by  any  means  to  remove. 

However,  I  was  so  enamoured  of  this  place,  that 
I  spent  much  of  my  time  there  for  the  whole  remain- 
ing part  of  the  month  of  July ;  and  though,  upon 
second  thoughts,  I  resolved,  as  above,  not  to  remove, 
yet  I  built  me  a  little  kind  of  a  bower,  and  sur- 
rounded it  at  a  distance  with  a  strong  fence,  being  a 
double  hedge  as  high  as  I  could  reach,  well  staked, 
and  filled  between  with  brushwood.  And  here  I 
lay  very  secure,  sometimes  two  or  three  nights  to- 
gether, always  going  over  it  with  a  ladder,  as  before ; 
so  that  I  fancied  now  I  had  my  country  house  and 
my  seacoast  house ;  and  this  work  took  me  up  to 
the  beginning  of  August. 

vol.  i. -8  [US] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

I  had  but  newly  finished  my  fence,  and  began 
to  enjoy  my  labour,  but  the  rains  came  on,  and 
made  me  stick  close  to  my  first  habitation ;  for 
though  I  had  made  me  a  tent  Hke  the  other,  with 
a  piece  of  a  sail,  and  spread  it  very  well,  yet  I  had 
not  the  shelter  of  a  hill  to  keep  me  from  storms,  nor 
a  cave  behind  me  to  retreat  into  when  the  rains  were 
extraordinary. 

About  the  beginning  of  August,  as  I  said,  I  had 
finished  my  bower,  and  began  to  enjoy  myself.  The 
3rd  of  August,  I  found  the  grapes  I  had  hung  up 
were  perfectly  dried,  and  indeed  were  excellent  good 
raisins  of  the  sun  ;  so  I  began  to  take  them  down 
from  the  trees.  And  it  was  very  happy  that  I  did 
so,  for  the  rains  which  followed  would  have  spoiled 
them,  and  I  had  lost  the  best  part  of  my  winter 
food  ;  for  I  had  above  two  hundred  large  bunches 
of  them.  No  sooner  had  I  taken  them  all  down, 
and  carried  most  of  them  home  to  my  cave,  but  it 
began  to  rain ;  and  from  hence,  which  was  the  14th 
of  August,  it  rained,  more  or  less,  every  day  till  the 
middle  of  October,  and  sometimes  so  violently,  that 
I  could  not  stir  out  of  my  cave  for  several  days. 

In  this  season,  I  was  much  surprised  with  the  in- 
crease of  my  family.  I  had  been  concerned  for  the 
loss  of  one  of  my  cats,  who  run  away  from  me,  or,  as 
I  thought,  had  been  dead,  and  I  heard  no  more  tale 
or  tidings  of  her,  till,  to  my  astonishment,  she  came 
home  about  the  end  of  August  with  three  kittens. 
This  was  the  more  strange  to  me,  because,  though 
I  had  killed  a  wild  cat,  as  I  called  it,  with  my  gun, 
yet  I  thought  it  was  a  quite  different  kind  from  our 
European  cats ;  yet  the  young  cats  were  the  same 
kind  of  house-breed  like  the  old  one  ;  and  both  my 
cats  being  females,  I  thought  it  very  strange.  But 
from  these  three  cats  I  afterwards  came  to  be  so 
pestered  with  cats,  that  I  was  forced  to  kill  them 

[114] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

like  vermin,  or  wild  beasts,  and  to  drive  them  from 
my  house  as  much  as  possible. 

From  the  14th  of  August  to  the  26th,  incessant 
rain,  so  that  I  could  not  stir,  and  was  now  very  care- 
ful not  to  be  much  wet.  In  this  confinement,  I  be- 
gan to  be  straitened  for  food ;  but  venturing  out 
twice,  I  one  day  killed  a  goat,  and  the  last  day, 
which  was  the  26th,  found  a  very  large  tortoise, 
which  was  a  treat  to  me,  and  my  food  was  regulated 
thus  :  I  eat  a  bunch  of  raisins  for  my  breakfast,  a 
piece  of  the  goafs  flesh,  or  of  the  turtle,  for  my 
dinner,  broiled ;  for,  to  my  great  misfortune,  I  had 
no  vessel  to  boil  or  stew  anything  ;  and  two  or  three 
of  the  turtle's  eggs  for  my  supper. 

During  this  confinement  in  my  cover  by  the  rain, 
I  worked  daily  two  or  three  hours  at  enlarging  my 
cave,  and  by  degrees  worked  it  on  towards  one  side, 
till  I  came  to  the  outside  of  the  hill,  and  made  a 
door,  or  way  out,  which  came  beyond  my  fence  or 
wall ;  and  so  I  came  in  and  out  this  way.  But  I  was 
not  perfectly  easy  at  lying  so  open  ;  for  as  I  had 
managed  myself  before,  I  was  in  a  perfect  enclosure ; 
whereas  now,  I  thought  I  lay  exposed,  and  open  for 
anything  to  come  in  upon  me ;  and  yet  I  could  not 
perceive  that  there  was  any  living  thing  to  fear,  the 
biggest  creature  that  I  had  yet  seen  upon  the  island 
being  a  goat. 

Sept.  SO.  —  I  was  now  come  to  the  unhappy  anni- 
versary of  my  landing.  I  cast  up  the  notches  on 
my  post,  and  found  I  had  been  on  shore  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty-five  days.  I  kept  this  day  as  a 
solemn  fast,  setting  it  apart  to  religious  exercise, 
prostrating  myself  on  the  ground  with  the  most 
serious  humiliation,  confessing  my  sins  to  God, 
acknowledging  His  righteous  judgments  upon  me, 
and  praying  to  Him  to  have  mercy  on  me  through 
Jesus   Christ ;  and  having  not  tasted  the  least  re- 

[115] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

freshment  for  twelve  hours,  even  till  the  going  down 
of  the  sun,  I  then  eat  a  biscuit-cake  and  a  bunch  of 
grapes,  and  went  to  bed,  finishing  the  day  as  I  be- 
gan it. 

I  had  all  this  time  observed  no  Sabbath  day,  for 
as  at  first  I  had  no  sense  of  religion  upon  my  mind, 
I  had,  after  some  time,  omitted  to  distinguish  the 
weeks,  by  making  a  longer  notch  than  ordinary  for 
the  Sabbath  day,  and  so  did  not  really  know  what  any 
of  the  days  were.  But  now,  having  cast  up  the  days, 
as  above,  I  found  I  had  been  there  a  year,  so  I  divided 
it  into  weeks,  and  set  apart  every  seventh  day  for  a 
Sabbath  ;  though  I  found  at  the  end  of  my  account, 
I  had  lost  a  day  or  two  in  my  reckoning. 

A  little  after  this  my  ink  began  to  fail  me,  and 
so  I  contented  myself  to  use  it  more  sparingly,  and 
to  write  down  only  the  most  remarkable  events  of 
my  life,  without  continuing  a  daily  memorandum  of 
other  things. 

The  rainy  season  and  the  dry  season  began  now 
to  appear  regular  to  me,  and  I  learned  to  divide 
them  so  as  to  provide  for  them  accordingly  ;  but  I 
bought  all  my  experience  before  I  had  it,  and  this 
I  am  going  to  relate  was  one  of  the  most  discourag- 
ing experiments  that  I  made  at  all.  I  have  men- 
tioned that  I  had  saved  the  few  ears  of  barley  and 
rice,  which  I  had  so  surprisingly  found  spring  up, 
as  I  thought,  of  themselves,  and  believe  there  were 
about  thirty  stalks  of  rice,  and  about  twenty  of 
barley  ;  and  now  I  thought  it  a  proper  time  to  sow 
it  after  the  rains,  the  sun  being  in  its  southern 
position,  going  from  me. 

Accordingly  I  dug  up  a  piece  of  ground  as  well 
as  I  could  with  my  wooden  spade,  and  dividing  it 
into  two  parts,  I  sowed  my  grain  ;  but  as  I  was  sow- 
ing, it  casually  occurred  to  my  thoughts  that  I  would 
not  sow  it  all  at  first,  because  I  did  not  know  when  was 

[116] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

the  proper  time  for  it,  so  I  sowed  about  two-thirds 
of  the  seed,  leaving  about  a  handful  of  each. 

It  was  a  great  comfort  to  me  afterwards  that  I 
did  so,  for  not  one  grain  of  that  I  sowed  this  time 
came  to  anything,  for  the  dry  months  following,  the 
earth  having  had  no  rain  after  the  seed  was  sown,  it 
had  no  moisture  to  assist  its  growth,  and  never  came 
up  at  all  till  the  wet  season  had  come  again,  and  then 
it  grew  as  if  it  had  been  but  newly  sown. 

Finding  my  first  seed  did  not  grow,  which  I  easily 
imagined  was  by  the  drought,  I  sought  for  a  moister 
piece  of  ground  to  make  another  trial  in,  and  I  dug 
up  a  piece  of  ground  near  my  new  bower,  and  sowed 
the  rest  of  my  seed  in  February,  a  little  before  the 
vernal  equinox.  And  this  having  the  rainy  months 
of  March  and  April  to  water  it,  sprung  up  very 
pleasantly,  and  yielded  a  very  good  crop  ;  but  hav- 
ing part  of  the  seed  left  only,  and  not  daring  to  sow 
all  that  I  had,  I  had  but  a  small  quantity  at  last, 
my  whole  crop  not  amounting  to  above  half  a  peck 
of  each  kind.  But  by  this  experiment  I  was  made 
master  of  my  business,  and  knew  exactly  when  the 
proper  season  was  to  sow,  and  that  I  might  expect 
two  seed-times  and  two  harvests  every  year. 

While  this  corn  was  growing,  I  made  a  little  dis- 
covery, which  was  of  use  to  me  afterwards.  As 
soon  as  the  rains  were  over,  and  the  weather  began 
to  settle,  which  was  about  the  month  of  November, 
I  made  a  visit  up  the  country  to  my  bower,  where, 
though  I  had  not  been  some  months,  yet  I  found  all 
things  just  as  I  left  them.  The  circle  or  double 
hedge  that  I  had  made  was  not  only  firm  and  entire, 
but  the  stakes  which  I  had  cut  out  of  some  trees 
that  grew  thereabouts  were  all  shot  out,  and  grown 
with  long  branches,  as  much  as  a  willow-tree  usually 
shoots  the  first  year  after  lopping  its  head.  I  could 
not  tell  what  tree  to  call  it  that  these  stakes  were 

[117] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

cut  from.  I  was  surprised,  and  yet  very  well  pleased 
to  see  the  young  trees  grow,  and  I  pruned  them, 
and  led  them  up  to  grow  as  much  alike  as  I  could. 
And  it  is  scarce  credible  how  beautiful  a  figure  they 
grew  into  in  three  years ;  so  that  though  the  hedge 
made  a  circle  of  about  twenty-five  yards  in  diameter, 
yet  the  trees,  for  such  I  might  now  call  them,  soon 
covered  it,  and  it  was  a  complete  shade,  sufficient 
to  lodge  under  all  the  drv  season. 

This  made  me  resolve  to  cut  some  more  stakes, 
and  make  me  a  hedge  like  this,  in  a  semicircle  round 
my  wall  (I  mean  that  of  my  first  dwelling),  which  I 
did  ;  and  placing  the  trees  or  stakes  in  a  double  row, 
at  about  eight  yards  distance  from  my  first  fence, 
they  grew  presently,  and  were  at  first  a  fine  cover  to 
my  habitation,  and  afterward  served  for  a  defence 
also,  as  I  shall  observe  in  its  order. 

I  found  now  that  the  seasons  of  the  year  might 
generally  be  divided,  not  into  summer  and  winter, 
as  in  Europe,  but  into  the  rainy  seasons  and  the  dry 
seasons  ;  which  were  generally  thus  : 

Half  February,   ]n   .         .,  ,    .       . , 

yr      i  J      I  Kamy,  the  sun  being  then  on,  or  near 

Half^r        J      thee(luinox- 
Half  April, 

May, 

June, 

July, 
Half  August,       J 
Half  August,       \ 

September,  f  Rainy,  the  sun  being  then  come  back. 
Half  October,      J 
Half  October,      i 

t^         7        \  Drv,  the  sun  being;  then  to  the  south 
December,   )■     H ^^  i-„„ 

January, 


Dry,  the  sun  being  then  to  the  north 
of  the  line. 


Half  February, 


of  the  line. 
[118] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

The  rainy  season  sometimes  held  longer  or  shorter 
as  the  winds  happened  to  blow,  but  this  was  the 
general  observation  I  made.  After  I  had  found  by 
experience  the  ill  consequence  of  being  abroad  in  the 
rain,  I  took  care  to  furnish  myself  with  provisions 
beforehand,  that  I  might  not  be  obliged  to  go  out ; 
and  I  sat  within  doors  as  much  as  possible  during 
the  wet  months. 

In  this  time  I  found  much  employment,  and  very 
suitable  also  to  the  time,  for  I  found  great  occasion 
of  many  things  which  I  had  no  way  to  furnish  my- 
self with  but  by  hard  labour  and  constant  applica- 
tion ;  particularly,  I  tried  many  ways  to  make  myself 
a  basket ;  but  all  the  twigs  I  could  get  for  the  pur- 
pose proved  so  brittle,  that  they  would  do  nothing. 
It  proved  of  excellent  advantage  to  me  now,  that 
when  I  was  a  boy  I  used  to  take  great  delight  in 
standing  at  a  basket- maker's  in  the  town  where  my 
father  lived,  to  see  them  make  their  wicker-ware  ; 
and  being,  as  boys  usually  are,  very  officious  to  help,, 
and  a  great  observer  of  the  manner  how  they  worked 
those  things,  and  sometimes  lending  a  hand,  I  had 
by  this  means  full  knowledge  of  the  methods  of  it, 
that  I  wanted  nothing  but  the  materials  ;  when  it 
came  into  my  mind  that  the  twigs  of  that  tree  from 
whence  I  cut  my  stakes  that  grew  might  possibly  be 
as  tough  as  the  sallows,  and  willows,  and  osiers  in 
England,  and  I  resolved  to  try. 

Accordingly,  the  next  day,  I  went  to  my  country 
house,  as  I  called  it ;  and  cutting  some  of  the  smaller 
twigs,  I  found  them  to  my  purpose  as  much  as  I 
could  desire  ;  whereupon  I  came  the  next  time  pre- 
pared with  a  hatchet  to  cut  down  a  quantity,  which 
I  soon  found,  for  there  was  great  plenty  of  them. 
These  I  set  up  to  dry  within  my  circle  or  hedge,  and 
when  they  were  fit  for  use,  I  carried  them  to  my 
cave  ;  and  here  during  the  next  season  I  employed 

[119] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

myself  in  making,  as  well  as  I  could,  a  great  many 
baskets,  both  to  carry  earth,  or  to  carry  or  lay  up 
anything  as  I  had  occasion.  And  though  I  did  not 
finish  them  very  handsomely,  yet  I  made  them  suffi- 
ciently serviceable  for  my  purpose.  And  thus,  af- 
terwards, I  took  care  never  to  be  without  them  ;  and 
as  my  wicker-ware  decayed,  I  made  more,  especially 
I  made  strong  deep  baskets  to  place  my  corn  in,  in- 
stead of  sacks,  when  I  should  come  to  have  any 
quantity  of  it. 

Having  mastered  this  difficulty,  and  employed  a 
world  of  time  about  it,  I  bestirred  myself  to  see,  if 
possible,  how  to  supply  two  wants.  I  had  no  ves- 
sels to  hold  anything  that  was  liquid,  except  two 
runlets,  which  were  almost  full  of  rum,  and  some  glass 
bottles,  some  of  the  common  size,  and  others  which 
were  case-bottles  square,  for  the  holding  of  waters, 
spirits,  &c.  I  had  not  so  much  as  a  pot  to  boil  any- 
thing, except  a  great  kettle,  which  I  saved  out  of 
the  ship,  and  which  was  too  big  for  such  use  as  I 
desired  it,  viz.,  to  make  broth,  and  stew  a  bit  of 
meat  by  itself.  The  second  thing  I  would  fain  have 
had  was  a  tobacco-pipe ;  but  it  was  impossible  to  me 
to  make  one.  However,  I  found  a  contrivance  for 
that,  too,  at  last. 

I  employed  myself  in  planting  my  second  rows  of 
stalks  or  piles  and  in  this  wicker-working  all  the 
summer  or  dry  season,  when  another  business  took 
me  up  more  time  than  it  could  be  imagined  I  could 
spare. 

I  mentioned  before  that  I  had  a  great  mind  to 
see  the  whole  island,  and  that  I  had  travelled  up  the 
brook,  and  so  on  to  where  I  built  my  bower,  and 
where  I  had  an  opening  quite  to  the  sea,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  island.  I  now  resolved  to  travel 
quite  across  to  the  seashore  on  that  side ;  so  taking 
my  gun,  a  hatchet,  and  my  dog,  and  a  larger  quantity 

[120] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

of  powder  and  shot  than  usual,  with  two  biscuit- 
cakes  and  a  great  bunch  of  raisins  in  my  pouch  for 
my  store,  I  began  my  journey.  When  I  had  passed 
the  vale  where  my  bower  stood,  as  above,  I  came 
within  view  of  the  sea  to  the  west ;  and  it  being  a 
very  clear  day,  I  fairly  descried  land,  whether  an 
island  or  a  continent  I  could  not  tell ;  but  it  lay 
very  high,  extending  from  the  west  to  the  W.  S.  W. 
at  a  very  great  distance ;  by  my  guess,  it  could  not 
be  less  than  fifteen  or  twenty  leagues  off. 

I  could  not  tell  what  part  of  the  world  this  might 
be,  otherwise  than  that  I  know  it  must  be  part  of 
America,  and,  as  I  concluded,  by  all  my  observations, 
must  be  near  the  Spanish  dominions,  and  perhaps 
was  all  inhabited  by  savages,  where,  if  I  should  have 
landed,  I  had  been  in  a  worse  condition  than  I  was 
now ;  and  therefore  I  acquiesced  in  the  dispositions 
of  Providence,  which  I  began  now  to  own  and  to 
believe  ordered  everything  for  the  best.  I  say,  I 
quieted  my  mind  with  this,  and  left  afflicting  myself 
with  fruitless  wishes  of  being  there. 

Besides,  after  some  pause  upon  this  affair,  I  con- 
sidered that  if  this  land  was  the  Spanish  coast,  I 
should  certainly,  one  time  or  other,  see  some  vessel 
pass  or  repass  one  way  or  other ;  but  if  not,  then  it 
was  the  savage  coast  between  the  Spanish  country 
and  Brazils,  which  are  indeed  the  worst  of  savages  ; 
for  they  are  cannibals  or  men-eaters,  and  fail  not  to 
murder  and  devour  all  the  human  bodies  that  fall 
into  their  hands. 

With  these  considerations  I  walked  very  leisurely 
forward.  I  found  that  side  of  the  island,  where  I 
now  was,  much  pleasanter  than  mine,  the  open  or 
savanna  fields  sweet,  adorned  with  flowers  and  grass, 
and  full  of  very  fine  woods. 

I  saw  abundance  of  parrots,  and  fain  I  would  have 
caught  one,  if  possible,   to  have  kept  it  to  be  tame, 

[121] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  taught  it  to  speak  to  me.  I  did,  after  some 
painstaking,  catch  a  young  parrot,  for  I  knocked  it 
down  with  a  stick,  and  having  recovered  it,  I  brought 
it  home ;  but  it  was  some  years  before  I  could  make 
him  speak.  However,  at  last  I  taught  him  to  call 
me  by  my  name  very  familiarly.  But  the  accident 
that  followed,  though  it  be  a  trifle,  will  be  very 
diverting  in  its  place. 

I  was  exceedingly  diverted  with  this  journey.  I 
found  in  the  low  grounds  hares,  as  I  thought  them 
to  be,  and  foxes ;  but  they  differed  greatly  from  all 
the  other  kinds  I  had  met  with,  nor  could  I  satisfy 
myself  to  eat  them,  though  I  killed  several.  But  I 
had  no  need  to  be  venturous,  for  I  had  no  want  of 
food,  and  of  that  which  was  very  good  too ;  espe- 
cially these  three  sorts,  viz.,  goats,  pigeons,  and 
turtle,  or  tortoise ;  which,  added  to  my  grapes,  Lead- 
enhall  Market  could  not  have  furnished  a  table 
better  than  I,  in  proportion  to  the  company.  And 
though  my  case  was  deplorable  enough,  yet  I  had 
great  cause  for  thankfulness,  and  that  I  was  not 
driven  to  any  extremities  for  food,  but  rather  plenty, 
even  to  dainties. 

I  never  travelled  in  this  journey  above  two  miles 
outright  in  a  day,  or  thereabouts ;  but  I  took  so 
many  turns  and  returns,  to  see  what  discoveries  I 
could  make,  that  I  came  weary  enough  to  the  place 
where  I  resolved  to  sit  down  for  all  night ;  and  then 
I  either  reposed  myself  in  a  tree,  or  surrounded  my- 
self with  a  row  of  stakes,  set  upright  in  the  ground, 
either  from  one  tree  to  another,  or  so  as  no  wild 
creature  could  come  at  me  without  waking  me. 

As  soon  as  I  came  to  the  seashore,  I  was  surprised 
to  see  that  I  had  taken  up  my  lot  on  the  worst  side 
of  the  island,  for  here  indeed  the  shore  was  covered 
with  innumerable  turtles  ;  whereas,  on  the  other  side, 
I  had  found  but  three  in  a  year  and  a  half.     Here 

[  122] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

was  also  an  infinite  number  of  fowls  of  many  kinds, 
some  which  I  had  seen,  and  some  which  I  had  not 
seen  of  before,  and  many  of  them  very  good  meat, 
but  such  as  I  knew  not  the  names  of,  except  those 
called  penguins. 

I  could  have  shot  as  many  as  I  pleased,  but  was 
very  sparing  of  my  powder  and  shot,  and  therefore 
had  more  mind  to  kill  a  she-goat,  if  I  could,  which 
I  could  better  feed  on  ;  and  though  there  were  many 
goats  here,  more  than  on  my  side  the  island,  yet  it 
was  with  much  more  difficulty  that  I  could  come 
near  them,  the  country  being  flat  and  even,  and  they 
saw  me  much  sooner  than  when  I  was  on  the  hill. 

I  confess  this  side  of  the  country  was  much  pleas- 
anter  than  mine ;  but  yet  I  had  not  the  least  incli- 
nation to  remove,  for  as  I  was  fixed  in  my  habitation, 
it  became  natural  to  me,  and  I  seemed  all  the  while 
I  was  here  to  be  as  it  were  upon  a  journey,  and  from 
home.  However,  I  travelled  along  the  shore  of  the 
sea  towards  the  east,  I  suppose  about  twelve  miles, 
and  then  setting  up  a  great  pole  upon  the  shore  for 
a  mark,  I  concluded  I  would  go  home  again  ;  and 
that  the  next  journey  I  took  should  be  on  the  other 
side  of  the  island,  east  from  my  dwelling,  and  so 
round  till  I  came  to  my  post  again ;  of  which  in  its 
place. 

I  took  another  way  to  come  back  than  that  I 
went,  thinking  I  could  easily  keep  all  the  island  so 
much  in  my  view,  that  I  could  not  miss  finding  my 
first  dwelling  by  viewing  the  country.  But  I  found 
myself  mistaken  ;  for  being  come  about  two  or  three 
miles,  I  found  myself  descended  into  a  very  large 
valley,  but  so  surrounded  with  hills,  and  those  hills 
covered  with  wood,  that  I  could  not  see  which  was 
my  way  by  any  direction  but  that  of  the  sun,  nor 
even  then,  unless  I  knew  very  well  the  position  of 
the  sun  at  that  time  of  the  day. 

[  123] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

It  happened  to  my  farther  misfortune,  that  the 
weather  proved  hazy  for  three  or  four  days  while  I 
was  in  this  valley  ;  and  not  being  able  to  see  the  sun, 
I  wandered  about  very  uncomfortably,  and  at  last  was 
obliged  to  find  out  the  seaside,  look  for  my  post,  and 
come  back  the  same  way  I  went ;  and  then  by  easy 
journeys  I  turned  homeward,  the  weather  being  ex- 
ceeding hot,  and  my  gun,  ammunition,  hatchet,  and 
other  things  very  heavy. 

In  this  journey  my  dog  surprised  a  young  kid,  and 
seized  upon  it,  and  I  running  in  to  take  hold  of  it, 
caught  it,  and  saved  it  alive  from  the  dog.  I  had  a 
great  mind  to  bring  it  home  if  I  could,  for  I  had  often 
been  musing  whether  it  might  not  be  possible  to  get 
a  kid  or  two,  and  so  raise  a  breed  of  tame  goats, 
which  might  supply  me  when  my  powder  and  shot 
should  be  all  spent. 

I  made  a  collar  to  this  little  creature,  and  with  a 
string,  which  I  made  of  some  rope-yarn,  which  I  al- 
ways carried  about  me,  I  led  him  along,  though  with 
some  difficulty,  till  I  came  to  my  bower,  and  there  I 
enclosed  him  and  left  him,  for  I  was  very  impatient 
to  be  at  home,  from  whence  I  had  been  absent  above 
a  month. 

I  cannot  express  what  a  satisfaction  it  was  to  me  to 
come  into  my  old  hutch,  and  lie  down  in  my  ham- 
mock-bed. This  little  wandering  journey,  without 
settled  place  of  abode,  had  been  so  unpleasant  to  me, 
that  my  own  house,  as  I  called  it  to  myself,  was  a 
perfect  settlement  to  me  compared  to  that ;  and  it 
rendered  everything  about  me  so  comfortable,  that  I 
resolved  I  would  never  go  a  great  way  from  it  again, 
while  it  should  be  my  lot  to  stay  on  the  island. 

I  reposed  myself  here  a  week,  to  rest  and  regale 
myself  after  my  long  journey  ;  during  which  most  of 
the  time  was  taken  up  in  the  weighty  affair  of  making 
a  cage  for  my  Poll,  who  began  now  to  be  a  mere 

[  124  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

domestic,  and  to  be  mighty  well  acquainted  with  me. 
Then  I  began  to  think  of  the  poor  kid  which  I  had 
penned  in  within  my  little  circle,  and  resolved  to  go 
and  fetch  it  home,  or  give  it  some  food.  Accordingly 
I  went,  and  found  it  where  I  left  it,  for  indeed  it 
could  not  get  out,  but  almost  starved  for  want  of 
food.  I  went  and  cut  boughs  of  trees,  and  branches 
of  such  shrubs  as  I  could  find,  and  threw  it  over, 
and  having  fed  it,  I  tied  it  as  I  did  before,  to  lead  it 
away  ;  but  it  was  so  tame  with  being  hungry,  that  I 
had  no  need  to  have  tied  it,  for  it  followed  me  like  a 
dog.  And  as  I  continually  fed  it,  the  creature  became 
so  loving,  so  gentle,  and  so  fond,  that  it  became  from 
that  time  one  of  my  domestics  also,  and  would  never 
leave  me  afterwards. 

The  rainy  season  of  the  autumnal  equinox  was  now 
come,  and  I  kept  the  30th  of  September  in  the  same 
solemn  manner  as  before,  being  the  anniversary  of  my 
landing  on  the  island,  having  now  been  there  two 
years,  and  no  more  prospect  of  being  delivered  than 
the  first  day  I  came  there.  I  spent  the  whole  day  in 
humble  and  thankful  acknowledgments  of  the  many 
wonderful  mercies  which  my  solitary  condition  was 
attended  with,  and  without  which  it  might  have  been 
infinitely  more  miserable.  I  gave  humble  and  hearty 
thanks  that  God  had  been  pleased  to  discover  to  me 
even  that  it  was  possible  I  might  be  more  happy  in  this 
solitary  condition,  than  I  should  have  been  in  a  lib- 
erty of  society,  and  in  all  the  pleasures  of  the  world  ; 
that  He  could  fully  make  up  to  me  the  deficiencies  of 
my  solitary  state,  and  the  want  of  human  society,  by 
His  presence,  and  the  communications  of  His  grace 
to  my  soul,  supporting,  comforting,  and  encouraging 
me  to  depend  upon  His  providence  here,  and  hope 
for  His  eternal   presence   hereafter. 

It  was  now  that  I  began  sensibly  to  feel  how  much 
more   happy  this    life  I  now  led   was,  with   all  its 

[  125  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

miserable  circumstances,  than  the  wicked,  cursed, 
abominable  life  I  led  all  the  past  part  of  my  days. 
And  now  I  changed  both  my  sorrows  and  my  joys ; 
my  very  desires  altered,  my  affections  changed  their 
gusts,  and  my  delights  were  perfectly  new  from  what 
they  were  at  my  first  coming,  or  indeed  for  the  two 
years  past. 

Before,  as  I  walked  about,  either  on  my  hunting, 
or  for  viewing  the  country,  the  anguish  of  my  soul 
at  my  condition  would  break  out  upon  me  on  a 
sudden,  and  my  very  heart  would  die  within  me,  to 
think  of  the  woods,  the  mountains,  the  deserts  I  was 
in,  and  how  I  was  a  prisoner,  locked  up  with  the 
eternal  bars  and  bolts  of  the  ocean,  in  an  uninhabited 
wilderness,  without  redemption.  In  the  midst  of 
the  greatest  composures  of  my  mind,  this  would 
break  out  upon  me  like  a  storm,  and  make  me  wring 
my  hands,  and  weep  like  a  child.  Sometimes  it 
would  take  me  in  the  middle  of  my  work,  and  I 
would  immediately  sit  down  and  sigh,  and  look  upon 
the  ground  for  an  hour  or  two  together ;  and  this 
was  still  worse  to  me,  for  if  I  could  burst  out  into 
tears,  or  vent  myself  by  words,  it  would  go  off,  and 
the  grief,  having  exhausted  itself,  would  abate. 

But  now  I  began  to  exercise  myself  with  new 
thoughts.  I  daily  read  the  Word  of  God,  and 
applied  all  the  comforts  of  it  to  my  present  state. 
One  morning,  being  very  sad,  I  opened  the  Bible 
upon  these  words,  "  I  will  never,  never  leave  thee, 
nor  forsake  thee.""  Immediately  it  occurred  that 
these  words  were  to  me  ;  why  else  should  they  be 
directed  in  such  a  manner,  just  at  the  moment  when 
I  was  mourning  over  my  condition,  as  one  forsaken 
of  God  and  man  ?  "  Well  then,"  said  I,  "  if  God 
does  not  forsake  me,  of  what  ill  consequence  can  it 
be,  or  what  matters  it,  though  the  world  should  all 
forsake  me,  seeing  on  the  other  hand  if  I  had  all 

[126] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

the  world,  and  should  lose  the  favour  and  blessing 
of  God,  there  would  be  no  comparison  in  the  loss  ?  " 

From  this  moment  I  began  to  conclude  in  my 
mind  that  it  was  possible  for  me  to  be  more  happy 
in  this  forsaken  solitary  condition,  than  it  was  prob- 
able I  should  ever  have  been  in  any  other  particular 
state  in  the  world,  and  with  this  thought  I  was  going 
to  give  thanks  to  God  for  bringing  me  to  this  place. 

I  know  not  what  it  was,  but  something  shocked 
my  mind  at  that  thought,  and  I  durst  not  speak  the 
words.  "  How  canst  thou  be  such  a  hypocrite,'" 
said  I,  even  audibly,  "  to  pretend  to  be  thankful  for 
a  condition  which,  however  thou  mayest  endeavour 
to  be  contented  with,  thou  wouldest  rather  pray 
heartily  to  be  delivered  from  ?  "  So  I  stopped  there ; 
but  though  I  could  not  say  I  thanked  God  for  being 
there,  yet  I  sincerely  gave  thanks  to  God  for  open- 
ing my  eyes,  by  whatever  afflicting  providences,  to 
see  the  former  condition  of  my  life,  and  to  mourn 
for  my  wickedness,  and  repent.  I  never  opened  the 
Bible,  or  shut  it,  but  my  very  soul  within  me  blessed 
God  for  directing  my  friend  in  England,  without  any 
order  of  mine,  to  pack  it  up  among  my  goods,  and 
for  assisting  me  afterwards  to  save  it  out  of  the  wreck 
of  the  ship. 

Thus,  and  in  this  disposition  of  mine,  I  began  my 
third  year ;  and  though  I  have  not  given  the  reader 
the  trouble  of  so  particular  account  of  my  works  this 
year  as  the  first,  yet  in  general  it  may  be  observed, 
that  I  was  very  seldom  idle,  but  having  regularly 
divided  my  time,  according  to  the  several  daily 
employments  that  were  before  me,  such  as,  first,  my 
duty  to  God,  and  the  reading  the  Scriptures,  which 
I  constantly  set  apart  some  time  for,  thrice  every 
day  ;  secondly,  the  going  abroad  with  my  gun  for 
food,  which  generally  took  me  up  three  hours  in 
every  morning,  when  it  did  not  rain ;  thirdly,  the 

[127] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

ordering,  curing,  preserving,  and  cooking  what  I  had 
killed  or  catched  for  my  supply  ;  these  took  up  great 
part  of  the  day  ;  also,  it  is  to  be  considered  that  the 
middle  of  the  day,  when  the  sun  was  in  the  zenith, 
the  violence  of  the  heat  was  too  great  to  stir  out ;  so 
that  about  four  hours  in  the  evening  was  all  the  time 
I  could  be  supposed  to  work  in,  with  this  exception, 
that  sometimes  I  changed  my  hours  of  hunting  and 
working,  and  went  to  work  in  the  morning,  and 
abroad  with  my  gun  in  the  afternoon. 

To  this  short  time  allowed  for  labour,  I  desire 
may  be  added  the  exceeding  laboriousness  of  my 
work  ;  the  many  hours  which,  for  want  of  tools, 
want  of  help,  and  want  of  skill,  everything  I  did 
took  up  out  of  my  time.  For  example,  I  was  full 
two  and  forty  days  making  me  a  board  for  a  long 
shelf,  which  I  wanted  in  my  cave ;  whereas  two 
sawyers,  with  their  tools  and  a  saw-pit,  would  have 
cut  six  of  them  out  of  the  same  tree  in  half  a 
day. 

My  case  was  this  :  it  was  to  be  a  large  tree  which 
was  to  be  cut  down,  because  my  board  was  to  be  a 
broad  one.  This  tree  I  was  three  days  a-cutting 
down,  and  two  more  cutting  off  the  boughs,  and 
reducing  it  to  a  log,  or  piece  of  timber.  With  in- 
expressible hacking  and  hewing,  I  reduced  both  the 
sides  of  it  into  chips  till  it  begun  to  be  light  enough 
to  move  ;  then  I  turned  it,  and  made  one  side  of  it 
smooth  and  flat  as  a  board  from  end  to  end  ;  then 
turning  that  side  downward,  cut  the  other  side,  till 
I  brought  the  plank  to  be  about  three  inches  thick, 
and  smooth  on  both  sides.  Any  one  may  judge 
the  labour  of  my  hands  in  such  a  piece  of  work ;  but 
labour  and  patience  carried  me  through  that,  and 
many  other  things.  I  only  observe  this  in  particu- 
lar, to  show  the  reason  why  so  much  of  my  time 
went  away  with  so  little  work,  viz.,  that  what  might 

[128] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

be  a  little  to  be  done  with  help  and  tools,  was  a  vast 
labour,  and  required  a  prodigious  time  to  do  alone, 
and  by  hand.  But  notwithstanding  this,  with 
patience  and  labour,  I  went  through  many  things, 
and,  indeed,  everything  that  my  circumstances  made 
necessary  to  me  to  do,  as  will  appear  by  what 
follows. 

I  was  now,  in  the  months  of  November  and 
December,  expecting  my  crop  of  barley  and  rice. 
The  ground  I  had  manured  or  dug  up  for  them  was 
not  great  ;  for  as  I  observed,  my  seed  of  each  was 
not  above  the  quantity  of  half  a  peck  ;  for  I  had 
lost  one  whole  crop  by  sowing  in  the  dry  season. 
But  now  my  crop  promised  very  well,  when  on  a 
sudden  I  found  I  was  in  danger  of  losing  it  all  again 
by  enemies  of  several  sorts,  which  it  was  scarce  pos- 
sible to  keep  from  it ;  as,  first  the  goats  and  wild 
creatures  which  I  called  hares,  who,  tasting  the 
sweetness  of  the  blade,  lay  in  it  night  and  day,  as 
soon  as  it  came  up,  and  eat  it  so  close,  that  it  could 
get  no  time  to  shoot  up  into  stalk. 

This  I  saw  no  remedy  for  but  by  making  an  en- 
closure about  it  with  a  hedge,  which  I  did  with  a 
great  deal  of  toil,  and  the  more,  because  it  required 
speed.  However,  as  my  arable  land  was  but  small, 
suited  to  my  crop,  I  got  it  totally  well  fenced  in 
about  three  weeks'*  time,  and  shooting  some  of  the 
creatures  in  the  daytime,  I  set  my  dog  to  guard  it 
in  the  night,  tying  him  up  to  a  stake  at  the  gate, 
where  he  would  stand  and  bark  all  night  long ;  so 
in  a  little  time  the  enemies  forsook  the  place,  and 
the  corn  grew  very  strong  and  well,  and  began  to 
ripen  apace. 

But  as  the  beasts  ruined  me  before  while  my  corn 

was  in  the  blade,  so  the  birds  were  as  likely  to  ruin 

me  now  when  it  was  in  the  ear  ;  for  going  along  by 

the  place  to  see  how  it  throve,  I  saw  my  little  crop 

VOL.  i. -9  [129] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

surrounded  with  fowls,  of  I  know  not  how  many 
sorts,  who  stood,  as  it  were,  watching  till  I  should 
be  gone.  I  immediately  let  fly  among  them,  for  I 
always  had  my  gun  with  me.  I  had  no  sooner  shot, 
but  there  rose  up  a  little  cloud  of  fowls,  which  I 
had  not  seen  at  all,  from  among  the  corn  itself. 

This  touched  me  sensibly,  for  I  foresaw  that  in 
a  few  days  they  would  devour  all  my  hopes,  that  I 
should  be  starved,  and  never  be  able  to  raise  a  crop 
at  all,  and  what  to  do  I  could  not  tell.  However, 
I  resolved  not  to  lose  my  corn,  if  possible,  though  I 
should  watch  it  night  and  day.  In  the  first  place, 
I  went  among  it  to  see  what  damage  was  already 
done,  and  found  they  had  spoiled  a  good  deal  of 
it ;  but  that  as  it  was  yet  too  green  for  them,  the 
loss  was  not  so  great  but  that  the  remainder  was 
like  to  be  a  good  crop  if  it  could  be  saved. 

I  stayed  by  it  to  load  my  gun,  and  then  coming 
away,  I  could  easily  see  the  thieves  sitting  upon  all 
the  trees  about  me,  as  if  they  only  waited  till  I  was 
gone  away.  And  the  event  proved  it  to  be  so  ;  for 
as  I  walked  off,  as  if  I  was  gone,  I  was  no  sooner  out 
of  their  sight  but  they  dropped  down,  one  by  one, 
into  the  corn  again.  I  was  so  provoked,  that  I  could 
not  have  patience  to  stay  till  more  came  on,  know- 
ing that  every  grain  that  they  eat  now  was,  as  it 
might  be  said,  a  peck-loaf  to  me  in  the  consequence  ; 
but  coming  up  to  the  hedge,  I  fired  again,  and  killed 
three  of  them.  This  was  what  I  wished  for  ;  so  I 
took  them  up,  and  served  them  as  we  serve  notori- 
ous thieves  in  England,  viz.,  hanged  them  in  chains, 
for  a  terror  to  others.  It  is  impossible  to  imagine 
almost  that  this  should  have  such  an  effect  as  it 
had,  for  the  fowls  would  not  only  not  come  at  the 
corn,  but,  in  short,  they  forsook  all  that  part  of  the 
island,  and  I  could  never  see  a  bird  near  the  place  as 
long  as  my  scare-crows  hung  there. 

[130] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

This  I  was  very  glad  of,  you  may  be  sure ;  and 
about  the  latter  end  of  December,  which  was  our 
second  harvest  of  the  year,  I  reaped  my  crop. 

I  was  sadly  put  to  it  for  a  scythe  or  a  sickle  to  cut 
it  down,  and  all  I  could  do  was  to  make  one  as  well 
as  I  could  out  of  one  of  the  broadswords,  or  cutlasses, 
which  I  saved  among  the  arms  out  of  the  ship.  How- 
ever, as  my  first  crop  was  but  small,  I  had  no  great 
difficulty  to  cut  it  down  ;  in  short,  I  reaped  it  my 
way,  for  I  cut  nothing  off  but  the  ears,  and  carried 
it  away  in  a  great  basket  which  I  had  made,  and  so 
rubbed  it  out  with  my  hands ;  and  at  the  end  of  all 
my  harvesting,  I  found  that  out  of  my  half  peck  of 
seed  I  had  near  two  bushels  of  rice,  and  above  two 
bushels  and  a  half  of  barley,  that  is  to  say,  by  my 
guess,  for  I  had  no  measure  at  that  time. 

However,  this  was  a  great  encouragement  to  me, 
and  I  foresaw  that,  in  time,  it  would  please  God  to 
supply  me  with  bread.  And  yet  here  I  was  per- 
plexed again,  for  I  neither  knew  how  to  grind  or 
make  meal  of  my  corn,  or  indeed  how  to  clean  it 
and  part  it ;  nor,  if  made  into  meal,  how  to  make 
bread  of  it,  and  if  how  to  make  it,  yet  I  knew  not 
how  to  bake  it.  These  things  being  added  to  my 
desire  of  having  a  good  quantity  for  store,  and  to 
secure  a  constant  supply,  I  resolved  not  to  taste  any 
of  this  crop,  but  to  preserve  it  all  for  seed  against 
the  next  season,  and,  in  the  meantime,  to  employ  all 
my  study  and  hours  of  working  to  accomplish  this 
great  work  of  providing  myself  with  corn  and  bread. 

It  might  be  truly  said,  that  now  I  worked  for  my 
bread.  'T  is  a  little  wonderful,  and  what  I  believe 
few  people  have  thought  much  upon,  viz.,  the  strange 
multitude  of  little  things  necessary  in  the  providing, 
producing,  curing,  dressing,  making,  and  finishing 
this  one  article  of  bread. 

I,  that  was  reduced  to  a  mere  state  of  nature, 

[131] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

found  this  to  my  daily  discouragement,  and  was 
made  more  and  more  sensible  of  it  every  hour,  even 
after  I  had  got  the  first  handful  of  seed-corn,  which, 
as  I  have  said,  came  up  unexpectedly,  and  indeed  to  a 
surprise. 

First,  I  had  no  plough  to  turn  up  the  earth,  no 
spade  or  shovel  to  dig  it.  Well,  this  I  conquered  by 
making  a  wooden  spade,  as  I  observed  before,  but 
this  did  my  work  in  but  a  wooden  manner ;  and 
though  it  cost  me  a  great  many  days  to  make  it, 
yet,  for  want  of  iron,  it  not  only  wore  out  the  sooner, 
but  made  my  work  the  harder,  and  made  it  be  per- 
formed much  worse. 

However,  this  I  bore  with,  and  was  content  to 
work  it  out  with  patience,  and  bear  with  the  badness 
of  the  performance.  When  the  corn  was  sowed,  I 
had  no  harrow,  but  was  forced  to  go  over  it  myself, 
and  drag  a  great  heavy  bough  of  a  tree  over  it,  to 
scratch  it,  as  it  may  be  called,  rather  than  rake  or 
harrow  it. 

When  it  was  growing  and  grown,  I  have  observed 
already  how  many  things  I  wanted  to  fence  it,  secure 
it,  mow  or  reap  it,  cure  and  carry  it  home,  thrash, 
part  it  from  the  chaff,  and  save  it.  Then  I  wanted 
a  mill  to  grind  it,  sieves  to  dress  it,  yeast  and  salt  to 
make  it  into  bread,  and  an  oven  to  bake  it,  and  yet 
all  these  things  I  did  without,  as  shall  be  observed  ; 
and  yet  the  corn  was  an  inestimable  comfort  and  ad- 
vantage to  me  too.  All  this,  as  I  said,  made  every- 
thing laborious  and  tedious  to  me,  but  that  there 
was  no  help  for  ;  neither  was  my  time  so  much  loss 
to  me,  because,  as  I  had  divided  it,  a  certain  part  of 
it  was  every  day  appointed  to  these  works,  and  as  I 
resolved  to  use  none  of  the  corn  for  bread  till  I  had 
a  greater  quantitv  by  me,  I  had  the  next  six  months 
to  apply  myself  wholly,  by  labour  and  invention,  to 
furnish  myself  with  utensils  proper  for  the  perform- 

[  132] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

ing  all  the  operations  necessary  for  the  making  the 
corn,  when  I  had  it,  fit  for  my  use. 

But  first  I  was  to  prepare  more  land,  for  I  had 
now  seed  enough  to  sow  above  an  acre  of  ground. 
Before  I  did  this,  I  had  a  week's  work  at  least  to 
make  me  a  spade,  which,  when  it  was  done,  was  but 
a  sorry  one  indeed,  and  very  heavy,  and  required 
double  labour  to  work  with  it.  However,  I  went 
through  that,  and  sowed  my  seed  in  two  large  flat 
pieces  of  ground,  as  near  my  house  as  I  could  find 
them  to  my  mind,  and  fenced  them  in  with  a  good 
hedge,  the  stakes  of  which  were  all  cut  of  that  wood 
which  I  had  set  before,  and  knew  it  would  grow ;  so 
that  in  one  year's  time  I  knew  I  should  have  a  quick 
or  living  hedge,  that  would  want  but  little  repair. 
This  work  was  not  so  little  as  to  take  me  up  less 
than  three  months,  because  great  part  of  that  time 
was  of  the  wet  season,  when  I  could  not  go  abroad. 

Within  doors,  that  is,  when  it  rained,  and  I  could 
not  go  out,  I  found  employment  on  the  following 
occasions ;  always  observing,  that  all  the  while  I  was 
at  work,  I  diverted  myself  with  talking  to  my  parrot, 
and  teaching  him  to  speak,  and  I  quickly  learned 
him  to  know  his  own  name,  and  at  last  to  speak  it 
out  pretty  loud,  "  Poll,"  which  was  the  first  word  I 
ever  heard  spoken  in  the  island  by  any  mouth  but 
my  own.  This,  therefore,  was  not  my  work,  but  an 
assistant  to  my  work  ;  for  now,  as  I  said,  I  had  a 
great  employment  upon  my  hands,  as  follows,  viz.,  I 
had  long  studied,  by  some  means  or  other,  to  make 
myself  some  earthen  vessels,  which  indeed  I  wanted 
sorely,  but  knew  not  where  to  come  at  them.  How- 
ever, considering  the  heat  of  the  climate,  I  did  not 
doubt  but  if  I  could  find  out  any  such  clay,  I  might 
botch  up  some  such  pot  as  might,  being  dried  in  the 
sun,  be  hard  enough  and  strong  enough  to  bear 
handling,  and  to  hold  anything  that  was  dry,  and 

[  133  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

required  to  be  kept  so  ;  and  as  this  was  necessary  in 
the  preparing  corn,  meal,  &c,  which  was  the  thing 
I  was  upon,  I  resolved  to  make  some  as  large  as  I 
could,  and  fit  only  to  stand  like  jars,  to  hold  what 
should  be  put  into  them. 

It  would  make  the  reader  pity  me,  or  rather  laugh 
at  me,  to  tell  how  many  awkward  ways  I  took  to 
raise  this  paste  ;  what  odd,  misshapen,  ugly  things  I 
made ;  how  many  of  them  fell  in,  and  how  many  fell 
out,  the  clay  not  being  stiff  enough  to  bear  its  own 
weight  ;  how  many  cracked  by  the  over-violent  heat 
of  the  sun,  being  set  out  too  nastily  ;  and  how  many 
fell  in  pieces  with  only  removing,  as  well  before  as 
after  they  were  dried ;  and,  in  a  word,  how,  after 
having  laboured  hard  to  find  the  clay,  to  dig  it,  to 
temper  it,  to  bring  it  home,  and  work  it,  I  could  not 
make  above  two  large  earthen  ugly  things  (I  cannot 
call  them  jars)  in  about  two  months'*  labour. 

However,  as  the  sun  baked  these  two  very  dry  and 
hard,  I  lifted  them  very  gently  up,  and  set  them 
down  again  in  two  great  wicker  baskets,  which  I  had 
made  on  purpose  for  them,  that  they  might  not 
break  ;  and  as  between  the  pot  and  the  basket  there 
was  a  little  room  to  spare,  I  stuffed  it  full  of  the  rice 
and  barley  straw,  and  these  two  pots  being  to  stand 
always  dry,  I  thought  would  hold  my  dry  corn, 
and  perhaps  the  meal,  when  the  corn  was  bruised. 

Though  I  miscarried  so  much  in  my  design  for 
large  pots,  yet  I  made  several  smaller  things  with 
better  success  ;  such  as  little  round  pots,  flat  dishes, 
pitchers,  and  pipkins,  and  any  things  my  hand 
turned  to ;  and  the  heat  of  the  sun  baked  them 
strangely  hard.  But  all  this  would  not  answer  my 
end,  which  was  to  get  an  earthen  pot  to  hold  what 
was  liquid,  and  bear  the  fire,  which  none  of  these 
could  do.  It  happened  after  some  time,  making  a 
pretty  large  fire  for  cooking  my  meat,  when  I  went 

[134] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  put  it  out  after  I  had  done  with  it,  I  found  a 
broken  piece  of  one  of  my  earthenware  vessels  in  the 
fire,  burnt  as  hard  as  a  stone,  and  red  as  a  tile.  I 
was  agreeably  surprised  to  see  it,  and  said  to  myself, 
that  certainly  they  might  be  made  to  burn  whole,  if 
they  would  burn  broken. 

This  set  me  to  studying  how  to  order  my  fire,  so 
as  to  make  it  burn  me  some  pots.  I  had  no  notion 
of  a  kiln,  such  as  the  potters  burn  in,  or  of  glazing 
them  with  lead,  though  I  had  some  lead  to  do  it 
with  ;  but  I  placed  three  large  pipkins,  and  two  or 
three  pots  in  a  pile,  one  upon  another,  and  placed 
my  firewood  all  around  it,  with  a  great  heap  of 
embers  under  them.  I  plied  the  fire  with  fresh  fuel 
round  the  outside,  and  upon  the  top,  till  I  saw  the 
pots  in  the  inside  red-hot  quite  through,  and  observed 
that  they  did  not  crack  at  all.  When  I  saw  them 
clear  red,  I  let  them  stand  in  that  heat  about  five 
or  six  hours,  till  I  found  one  of  them,  though  it  did 
not  crack,  did  melt  or  run,  for  the  sand  which  was 
mixed  with  the  clay  melted  by  the  violence  of  the 
heat,  and  would  have  run  into  glass,  if  I  had  gone 
on ;  so  I  slacked  my  fire  gradually  till  the  pots 
began  to  abate  of  the  red  colour ;  and  watching 
them  all  night,  that  I  might  not  let  the  fire 
abate  too  fast,  in  the  morning  I  had  three  very 
good,  I  will  not  say  handsome,  pipkins,  and  two 
other  earthen  pots,  as  hard  burnt  as  could  be  desired, 
and  one  of  them  perfectly  glazed  with  the  running 
of  the  sand. 

After  this  experiment,  I  need  not  say  that  I  wanted 
no  sort  of  earthenware  for  my  use ;  but  I  must  needs 
say,  as  to  the  shapes  of  them,  they  were  very  indiffer- 
ent, as  any  one  may  suppose,  when  I  had  no  way  of 
making  them  but  as  the  children  make  dirt  pies,  or 
as  a  woman  would  make  pies  that  never  learned  to 
raise  paste. 

[135] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

No  joy  at  a  thing  of  so  mean  a  nature  was  ever 
equal  to  mine,  when  I  found  I  had  made  an  earthen 
pot  that  would  bear  the  fire ;  and  I  had  hardly 
patience  to  stay  till  they  were  cold,  before  I  set  one 
upon  the  fire  again,  with  some  water  in  it,  to  boil 
me  some  meat,  which  it  did  admirably  well ;  and 
with  a  piece  of  a  kid  I  made  some  very  good  broth, 
though  I  wanted  oatmeal  and  several  other  ingre- 
dients requisite  to  make  it  so  good  as  I  would  have 
had  it  been. 

My  next  concern  was  to  get  me  a  stone  mortar  to 
stamp  or  beat  some  corn  in ;  for  as  to  the  mill,  there 
was  no  thought  at  arriving  to  that  perfection  of  art 
with  one  pair  of  hands.  To  supply  this  want  I  was 
at  a  great  loss ;  for,  of  all  trades  in  the  world,  I 
was  as  perfectly  unqualified  for  a  stone-cutter  as  for 
any  whatever  ;  neither  had  I  any  tools  to  go  about 
it  with.  I  spent  many  a  day  to  find  out  a  great 
stone  big  enough  to  cut  hollow,  and  make  fit  for  a 
mortar,  and  could  find  none  at  all,  except  what  was 
in  the  solid  rock,  and  which  I  had  no  way  to  dig  or 
cut  out ;  nor  indeed  were  the  rocks  in  the  island  of 
hardness  sufficient,  but  were  all  of  a  sandy  crumbling 
stone,  which  neither  would  bear  the  weight  of  a  heavy 
pestle,  or  would  break  the  corn  without  filling  it 
with  sand.  So,  after  a  great  deal  of  time  lost  in 
searching  for  a  stone,  I  gave  it  over,  and  resolved  to 
look  out  for  a  great  block  of  hard  wood,  which  I 
found  indeed  much  easier  ;  and  getting  one  as  big  as 
I  had  strength  to  stir,  I  rounded  it,  and  formed  it  in 
the  outside  with  my  axe  and  hatchet,  and  then, 
with  the  help  of  fire,  and  infinite  labour,  made  a 
hollow  place  in  it,  as  the  Indians  in  Brazil  make 
their  canoes.  After  this,  I  made  a  great  heavy 
pestle,  or  beater,  of  the  wood  called  the  iron-wood ; 
and  this  I  prepared  and  laid  by  against  I  had  my 
next   crop  of  corn,   when  I  proposed  to  myself  to 

[136] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

grind,  or  rather  pound,  my  corn  into  meal,  to  make 
my  bread. 

My  next  difficulty  was  to  make  a  sieve,  or  search, 
to  dress  my  meal,  and  to  part  it  from  the  bran  and 
the  husk,  without  which  I  did  not  see  it  possible  I 
could  have  any  bread.  This  was  a  most  difficult 
thing,  so  much  as  but  to  think  on,  for  to  be  sure  I 
had  nothing  like  the  necessary  thing  to  make  it ; 
I  mean  fine  thin  canvas  or  stuff,  to  search  the  meal 
through.  And  here  I  was  at  a  full  stop  for  many 
months,  nor  did  I  really  know  what  to  do ;  linen  I 
had  none  left,  but  what  was  mere  rags  ;  I  had  goats"*- 
hair,  but  neither  knew  I  how  to  weave  it  or  spin  it ; 
and  had  I  known  how,  here  was  no  tools  to  work  it 
with.  All  the  remedy  that  I  found  for  this  was, 
that  at  last  I  did  remember  I  had,  among  the  sea- 
men's clothes  which  were  saved  out  of  the  ship,  some 
neckcloths  of  calico  or  muslin  ;  and  with  some  pieces 
of  these  I  made  three  small  sieves,  but  proper  enough 
for  the  work  ;  and  thus  I  made  shift  for  some  years. 
How  I  did  afterwards,  I  shall  show  in  its  place. 

The  baking  part  was  the  next  thing  to  be  con- 
sidered, and  how  I  should  make  bread  when  I  came 
to  have  corn  ;  for,  first  I  had  no  yeast.  As  to  that 
part,  as  there  was  no  supplying  the  want,  so  I  did 
not  concern  myself  much  about  it ;  but  for  an  oven 
I  was  indeed  in  great  pain.  At  length  I  found  out 
an  experiment  for  that  also,  which  was  this :  I  made 
some  earthen  vessels  very  broad,  but  not  deep,  that 
is  to  say,  about  two  feet  diameter,  and  not  above 
nine  inches  deep ;  these  I  burned  in  the  fire,  as  I  had 
done  the  other,  and  laid  them  by ;  and  when  I 
wanted  to  bake,  I  made  a  great  fire  upon  my  hearth, 
which  I  had  paved  with  some  square  tiles,  of  my 
own  making  and  burning  also ;  but  I  should  not  call 
them  square. 

When  the  firewood  was  burned  pretty  much  into 

[137] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

embers,  or  live  coals,  I  drew  them  forward  upon  this 
hearth,  so  as  to  cover  it  all  over,  and  there  I  let 
them  lie  till  the  hearth  was  very  hot  ;  then  sweep- 
ing away  all  the  embers,  I  set  down  my  loaf,  or 
loaves,  and  whelming  down  the  earthen  pot  upon 
them,  drew  the  embers  all  round  the  outside  of  the 
pot,  to  keep  in  and  add  to  the  heat.  And  thus,  as 
well  as  in  the  best  oven  in  the  world,  I  baked  my 
barley-loaves,  and  became,  in  little  time,  a  mere 
pastry-cook  into  the  bargain  ;  for  I  made  myself 
several  cakes  of  the  rice,  and  puddings  ;  indeed  I 
made  no  pies,  neither  had  I  anything  to  put  into 
them,  supposing  I  had,  except  the  flesh  either  of 
fowls  or  goats. 

It  need  not  be  wondered  at,  if  all  these  things 
took  me  up  most  part  of  the  third  year  of  my  abode 
here ;  for  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  in  the  intervals  of 
these  things  I  had  my  new  harvest  and  husbandry  to 
manage  ;  for  I  reaped  my  corn  in  its  season,  and 
carried  it  home  as  well  as  I  could,  and  laid  it  up  in 
the  ear,  in  my  large  baskets,  till  I  had  time  to  rub 
it  out,  for  I  had  no  floor  to  thrash  it  on,  or  instru- 
ment to  thrash  it  with. 

And  now,  indeed,  my  stock  of  corn  increasing,  I 
really  wanted  to  build  my  barns  bigger.  I  wanted  a 
place  to  lay  it  up  in,  for  the  increase  of  the  corn  now 
yielded  me  so  much,  that  I  had  of  the  barley  about 
twenty  bushels,  and  of  the  rice  as  much,  or  more, 
insomuch  that  now  I  resolved  to  begin  to  use  it  freely  ; 
for  my  bread  had  been  quite  gone  a  great  while  ;  also, 
I  resolved  to  see  what  quantity  would  be  sufficient 
for  me  a  whole  year,  and  to  sow  but  once  a  year. 

Upon  the  whole,  I  found  that  the  forty  bushels  of 
barley  and  rice  was  much  more  than  I  could  consume 
in  a  year  ;  so  I  resolved  to  sow  just  the  same  quantity 
every  year  that  I  sowed  the  last,  in  hopes  that  such 
a  quantity  would  fully  provide  me  with  bread,  &c. 

[  138  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

All  the  while  these  things  were  doing,  you  may 
be  sure  my  thoughts  ran  many  times  upon  the  pros- 
pect of  land  which  I  had  seen  from  the  other  side  of 
the  island,  and  I  was  not  without  secret  wishes  that 
I  were  on  shore  there,  fancying  the  seeing  the  main- 
land, and  in  an  inhabited  country,  I  might  find  some 
way  or  other  to  convey  myself  farther,  and  perhaps 
at  last  find  some  means  of  escape. 

But  all  this  while  I  made  no  allowance  for  the 
dangers  of  such  a  condition,  and  how  I  might  fall 
into  the  hands  of  savages,  and  perhaps  such  as  I  might 
have  reason  to  think  far  worse  than  the  lions  and 
tigers  of  Africa  ;  that  if  I  once  came  into  their  power, 
I  should  run  a  hazard  more  than  a  thousand  to  one 
of  being  killed,  and  perhaps  of  being  eaten  ;  for  I  had 
heard  that  the  people  of  the  Caribbean  coasts  were 
cannibals,  or  man-eaters,  and  I  knew  by  the  latitude 
that  I  could  not  be  far  off  from  that  shore.  That  sup- 
pose they  were  not  cannibals,  yet  that  they  might  kill 
me,  as  many  Europeans  who  had  fallen  into  their 
hands  had  been  served,  even  when  they  had  been 
ten  or  twenty  together,  much  more  I,  that  was  but 
one,  and  could  make  little  or  no  defence ;  all  these 
things,  I  say,  which  I  ought  to  have  considered  well 
of,  and  did  cast  up  in  my  thoughts  afterwards,  yet 
took  up  none  of  my  apprehensions  at  first,  but  my 
head  ran  mightily  upon  the  thought  of  getting  over 
to  the  shore. 

Now  I  wished  for  my  boy  Xury,  and  the  long-boat 
with  the  shoulder-of-mutton  sail,  with  which  I  sailed 
above  a  thousand  miles  on  the  coast  of  Africa ;  but 
this  was  in  vain.  Then  I  thought  I  would  go  and 
look  at  our  ship's  boat,  which,  as  I  have  said,  was 
blown  up  upon  the  shore  a  great  way,  in  the  storm, 
when  we  were  first  cast  away.  She  lay  almost  where 
she  did  at  first,  but  not  quite  ;  and  was  turned,  by 
the  force  of  the  waves  and  the  winds,  almost  bottom 

[139] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

upward,  against  a  high  ridge  of  beachy  rough  sand, 
but  no  water  about  her,  as  before. 

If  I  had  had  hands  to  have  refitted  her,  and  to  have 
launched  her  into  the  water,  the  boat  would  have  done 
well  enough,  and  I  might  have  gone  back  into  the 
Brazils  with  her  easily  enough ;  but  I  might  have 
foreseen  that  I  could  no  more  turn  her  and  set  her 
upright  upon  her  bottom,  than  I  could  remove  the 
island.  However,  I  went  to  the  woods,  and  cut  levers 
and  rollers,  and  brought  them  to  the  boat,  resolved 
to  try  what  I  could  do  ;  suggesting  to  myself  that  if 
I  could  but  turn  her  down,  I  might  easily  repair  the 
damage  she  had  received,  and  she  would  be  a  very 
good  boat,  and  I  might  go  to  sea  in  her  very  easily. 

1  spared  no  pains,  indeed,  in  this  piece  of  fruitless 
toil,  and  spent,  I  think,  three  or  four  weeks  about  it. 
At  last  finding  it  impossible  to  heave  it  up  with  my 
little  strength,  I  fell  to  digging  away  the  sand,  to 
undermine  it,  and  so  to  make  it  fall  down,  setting 
pieces  of  wood  to  thrust  and  guide  it  right  in  the  fall. 
But  when  I  had  done  this,  I  was  unable  to  stir  it  up 
again,  or  to  get  under  it,  much  less  to  move  it  for- 
ward towards  the  water ;  so  I  was  forced  to  give  it 
over.  And  yet,  though  I  gave  over  the  hopes  of  the 
boat,  my  desire  to  venture  over  for  the  main  increased, 
rather  than  decreased,  as  the  means  for  it  seemed 
impossible. 

This  at  length  put  me  upon  thinking  whether  it 
was  not  possible  to  make  myself  a  canoe,  or  periagua, 
such  as  the  natives  of  those  climates  make,  even  with- 
out tools,  or,  as  I  might  say,  without  hands,  viz.,  of 
the  trunk  of  a  great  tree.  This  I  not  only  thought 
possible,  but  easy,  and  pleased  myself  extremely  with 
the  thoughts  of  making  it,  and  with  my  having  much 
more  convenience  for  it  than  any  of  the  negroes  or 
Indians  ;  but  not  at  all  considering  the  particular 
inconveniences  which  I  lay  under  more  than  the  In- 

[140] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

dians  did,  viz.,  want  of  hands  to  move  it,  when  it  was 
made,  into  the  water,  a  difficulty  much  harder  for  me 
to  surmount  than  all  the  consequences  of  want  of 
tools  could  be  to  them.  For  what  was  it  to  me,  that 
when  I  had  chosen  a  vast  tree  in  the  woods,  I  might 
with  much  trouble  cut  it  down,  if,  after  I  might  be 
able  with  my  tools  to  hew  and  dub  the  outside  into 
the  proper  shape  of  a  boat,  and  burn  or  cut  out  the 
inside  to  make  it  hollow,  so  to  make  a  boat  of  it ; 
if,  after  all  this,  I  must  leave  it  just  there  where  I 
found  it,  and  was  not  able  to  launch  it  into  the 
water  ? 

One  would  have  thought  I  could  not  have  had  the 
least  reflection  upon  my  mind  of  my  circumstance 
while  I  was  making  this  boat,  but  I  should  have  im- 
mediately thought  how  I  should  get  it  into  the  sea ; 
but  my  thoughts  were  so  intent  upon  my  voyage 
over  the  sea  in  it,  that  I  never  once  considered  how 
I  should  get  it  off  of  the  land  ;  and  it  was  really,  in  its 
own  nature,  more  easy  for  me  to  guide  it  over  forty- 
five  miles  of  sea,  than  about  forty-five  fathoms  of 
land,  where  it  lay,  to  set  it  afloat  in  the  water. 

I  went  to  work  upon  this  boat  the  most  like  a 
fool  that  ever  man  did  who  had  any  of  his  senses 
awake.  I  pleased  myself  with  the  design,  without 
determining  whether  I  was  ever  able  to  undertake 
it.  Not  but  that  the  difficulty  of  launching  my  boat 
came  often  into  my  head ;  but  I  put  a  stop  to  my 
own  inquiries  into  it,  by  this  foolish  answer  which  I 
gave  myself,  "  Let 's  first  make  it ;  1 11  warrant  1 11 
find  some  way  or  other  to  get  it  along  when  "'tis 
done." 

This  was  a  most  preposterous  method  ;  but  the 
eagerness  of  my  fancy  prevailed,  and  to  work  I  went. 
I  felled  a  cedar  tree :  I  question  much  whether  Solo- 
mon ever  had  such  a  one  for  the  building  of  the 
Temple  at  Jerusalem.     It  was  five  feet  ten  inches 

[141] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

diameter  at  the  lower  part  next  the  stump,  and  four 
feet  eleven  inches  diameter  at  the  end  of  twentv-two 
feet,  after  which  it  lessened  for  awhile,  and  then 
parted  into  branches.  It  was  not  without  infinite 
labour  that  I  felled  this  tree.  I  was  twenty  days 
hacking  and  hewing  at  it  at  the  bottom  ;  I  was  four- 
teen more  getting  the  branches  and  limbs,  and  the 
vast  spreading  head  of  it  cut  off,  which  I  hacked  and 
hewed  through  with  axe  and  hatchet,  and  inexpressi- 
ble labour.  After  this,  it  cost  me  a  month  to  shape 
it  and  dub  it  to  a  proportion,  and  to  something  like 
the  bottom  of  a  boat,  that  it  might  swim  upright  as 
it  ought  to  do.  It  cost  me  near  three  months  more 
to  clear  the  inside,  and  work  it  so  as  to  make  an  exact 
boat  of  it.  This  I  did,  indeed,  without  fire,  by  mere 
mallet  and  chisel,  and  by  the  dint  of  hard  labour, 
till  I  had  brought  it  to  be  a  very  handsome periagua, 
and  big  enough  to  have  carried  six  and  twenty  men, 
and  consequently  big  enough  to  have  carried  me  and 
all  my  cargo. 

When  I  had  gone  through  this  work,  I  was  ex- 
tremely delighted  with  it.  The  boat  was  really  much 
bigger  than  I  ever  saw  a  canoe  or  periagua,  that  was 
made  of  one  tree,  in  my  life.  Many  a  weary  stroke 
it  had  cost,  you  may  be  sure ;  and  there  remained 
nothing  but  to  get  it  into  the  water;  and  had  I 
gotten  it  into  the  water,  I  make  no  question  but 
I  should  have  begun  the  maddest  voyage,  and  the 
most  unlikely  to  be  performed,  that  ever  was  under- 
taken. 

But  all  my  devices  to  get  it  into  the  water  failed 
me,  though  they  cost  me  infinite  labour  too.  It  lay 
about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  water,  and  not 
more  ;  but  the  first  inconvenience  was,  it  was  uphill 
towards  the  creek.  Well,  to  take  away  this  dis- 
couragement, I  resolved  to  dig  into  the  surface  of 
the  earth,  and  so  make  a  declivity.     This   I  began, 

[142] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  it  cost  me  a  prodigious  deal  of  pains  ;  but  who 
grudges  pains,  that  have  their  deliverance  in  view  ? 
But  when  this  was  worked  through,  and  this  difficulty 
managed,  it  was  still  much  at  one,  for  I  could  no 
more  stir  the  canoe  than  I  could  the  other  boat. 

Then  I  measured  the  distance  of  ground,  and  re- 
solved to  cut  a  dock  or  canal,  to  bring  the  water  up  to 
the  canoe,  seeing  I  could  not  bring  the  canoe  down  to 
the  water.  Well,  I  began  this  work  ;  and  when  I 
began  to  enter  into  it,  and  calculate  how  deep  it  was 
to  be  dug,  how  broad,  how  the  stuff  to  be  thrown  out, 
I  found  that  by  the  number  of  hands  I  had,  being  none 
but  my  own,  it  must  have  been  ten  or  twelve  years 
before  I  should  have  gone  through  with  it ;  for  the 
shore  lay  high,  so  that  at  the  upper  end  it  must  have 
been  at  least  twenty  feet  deep  ;  so  at  length,  though 
with  great  reluctancy,  I  gave  this  attempt  over  also. 

This  grieved  me  heartily  ;  and  now  I  saw,  though 
too  late,  the  folly  of  beginning  a  work  before  we 
count  the  cost,  and  before  we  judge  rightly  of  our 
own  strength  to  go  through  with  it. 

In  the  middle  of  this  work  I  finished  my  fourth 
year  in  this  place,  and  kept  my  anniversary  with  the 
same  devotion,  and  with  as  much  comfort  as  ever  be- 
fore ;  for,  by  a  constant  study  and  serious  applica- 
tion of  the  Word  of  God,  and  by  the  assistance  of 
His  grace,  I  gained  a  different  knowledge  from  what 
I  had  before.  I  entertained  different  notions  of 
things.  I  looked  now  upon  the  world  as  a  thing 
remote,  which  I  had  nothing  to  do  with,  no  expecta- 
tion from,  and,  indeed,  no  desires  about.  In  a  word, 
I  had  nothing  indeed  to  do  with  it,  nor  was  ever  like 
to  have  ;  so  I  thought  it  looked,  as  we  may  perhaps 
look  upon  it  hereafter,  viz.,  as  a  place  I  had  lived  in, 
but  was  come  out  of  it ;  and  well  might  I  say,  as 
father  Abraham  to  Dives,  "  Between  me  and  thee  is 
a  great  gulf  fixed." 

[143] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

In  the  first  place,  I  was  removed  from  all  the 
wickedness  of  the  world  here.  I  had  neither  the  lust 
of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eye,  or  the  pride  of  life. 
I  had  nothing  to  covet,  for  I  had  all  that  I  was  now 
capable  of  enjoying.  I  was  lord  of  the  whole  manor  ; 
or,  if  I  pleased,  I  might  call  myself  king  or  emperor 
over  the  whole  country  which  I  had  possession  of. 
There  were  no  rivals :  I  had  no  competitor,  none  to 
dispute  sovereignty  or  command  with  me.  I  might 
have  raised  ship-loadings  of  corn,  but  I  had  no  use 
for  it  ;  so  I  let  as  little  grow  as  I  thought  enough 
for  my  occasion.  I  had  tortoise  or  turtles  enough, 
but  now  and  then  one  was  as  much  as  I  could  put  to 
any  use.  I  had  timber  enough  to  have  built  a  fleet 
of  ships.  I  had  grapes  enough  to  have  made  wine, 
or  to  have  cured  into  raisins,  to  have  loaded  that 
fleet  when  they  had  been   built. 

But  all  I  could  make  use  of  was  all  that  was  valuable. 
I  had  enough  to  eat  and  to  supply  my  wants,  and 
what  was  all  the  rest  to  me  ?  If  I  killed  more  flesh 
than  I  could  eat,  the  dog  must  eat  it,  or  the  vermin. 
If  I  sowed  more  corn  than  I  could  eat,  it  must  be 
spoiled.  The  trees  that  I  cut  down  were  lying  to 
rot  on  the  ground ;  I  could  make  no  more  use  of 
them  than  for  fuel,  and  that  I  had  no  occasion  for 
but  to  dress  my  food. 

In  a  word,  the  nature  and  experience  of  things 
dictated  to  me,  upon  just  reflection,  that  all  the 
good  things  of  this  world  are  no  farther  good  to  us 
than  they  are  for  our  use  ;  and  that  whatever  we 
may  heap  up  indeed  to  give  others,  we  enjoy  just 
as  much  as  we  can  use,  and  no  more.  The  most 
covetous  griping  miser  in  the  world  would  have  been 
cured  of  the  vice  of  covetousness,  if  he  had  been  in 
my  case  ;  for  I  possessed  infinitely  more  than  I  knew 
what  to  do  with.  I  had  no  room  for  desire,  except 
it  was  of  things  which  I  had  not,  and  they  were  but 

[144] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

trifles,  though  indeed  of  great  use  to  me.  I  had, 
as  I  hinted  before,  a  parcel  of  money,  as  well  gold 
as  silver,  about  thirty-six  pounds  sterling.  Alas ! 
there  the  nasty,  sorry,  useless  stuff  lay  ;  I  had  no 
manner  of  business  for  it ;  and  I  often  thought  with 
myself,  that  I  would  have  given  a  handful  of  it  for 
a  gross  of  tobacco-pipes,  or  for  a  hand-mill  to  grind 
my  corn  ;  nay,  I  would  have  given  it  all  for  six- 
penny-worth of  turnip  and  carrot  seed  out  of  Eng- 
land, or  for  a  handful  of  peas  and  beans,  and  a 
bottle  of  ink.  As  it  was,  I  had  not  the  least  ad- 
vantage by  it,  or  benefit  from  it ;  but  there  it  lay 
in  a  drawer,  and  grew  mouldy  with  the  damp  of  the 
cave  in  the  wet  season  ;  and  if  I  had  had  the  drawer 
full  of  diamonds,  it  had  been  the  same  case,  and 
they  had  been  of  no  manner  of  value  to  me  because 
of  no  use. 

I  had  now  brought  my  state  of  life  to  be  much 
easier  in  itself  than  it  was  at  first,  and  much  easier 
to  my  mind,  as  well  as  to  my  body.  I  frequently 
sat  down  to  my  meat  with  thankfulness,  and  admired 
the  hand  of  God's  providence,  which  had  thus  spread 
my  table  in  the  wilderness.  I  learned  to  look  more 
upon  the  bright  side  of  my  condition,  and  less  upon 
the  dark  side,  and  to  consider  what  I  enjoyed,  rather 
than  what  I  wanted  ;  and  this  gave  me  sometimes 
such  secret  comforts,  that  I  cannot  express  them  ; 
and  which  I  take  notice  of  here,  to  put  those  dis- 
contented people  in  mind  of  it,  who  cannot  enjoy 
comfortably  what  God  has  given  them,  because  they 
see  and  covet  something  that  He  has  not  given 
them.  All  our  discontents  about  what  we  want, 
appeared  to  me  to  spring  from  the  want  of  thank- 
fulness for  what  we  have. 

Another  reflection  was  of  great  use  to  me,  and 
doubtless  would  be  so  to  any  one  that  should  fall 
into  such  distress  as  mine  was ;  and  this  was,  to 
vol.  i.  —  10  [  145  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

compare  my  present  condition  with  what  I  at  first 
expected  it  should  be  ;  nay,  with  what  it  would 
certainly  have  been,  if  the  good  providence  of  God 
had  not  wonderfully  ordered  the  ship  to  be  cast  up 
nearer  to  the  shore,  where  I  not  only  could  come  at 
her,  but  could  bring  what  I  got  out  of  her  to  the 
shore,  for  my  relief  and  comfort  ;  without  which  I 
had  wanted  for  tools  to  work,  weapons  for  defence, 
or  gunpowder  and  shot  for  getting  my  food. 

I  spent  whole  hours,  I  may  say  whole  days,  in 
representing  to  myself,  in  the  most  lively  colours, 
how  I  must  have  acted  if  I  had  £ot  nothing;  out  of 
the  ship.  How  I  could  not  have  so  much  as  got 
any  food,  except  fish  and  turtles  ;  and  that  as  it 
was  long  before  I  found  any  of  them,  I  must  have 
perished  first ;  that  I  should  have  lived,  if  I  had  not 
perished,  like  a  mere  savage ;  that  if  I  had  killed 
a  goat  or  a  fowl,  by  any  contrivance,  I  had  no  way 
to  flay  or  open  them,  or  part  the  flesh  from  the 
skin  and  the  bowels,  or  to  cut  it  up  ;  but  must  gnaw 
it  with  my  teeth,  and  pull  it  with  my  claws,  like 
a  beast. 

These  reflections  made  me  very  sensible  of  the 
goodness  of  Providence  to  me,  and  very  thankful  for 
my  present  condition,  with  all  its  hardships  and  mis- 
fortunes ;  and  this  part  also  I  cannot  but  recom- 
mend to  the  reflection  of  those  who  are  apt,  in  their 
misery,  to  say,  Is  any  affliction  like  mine  ?  Let 
them  consider  how  much  worse  the  cases  of  some 
people  are,  and  their  case  might  have  been,  if  Provi- 
dence had  thought  fit. 

I  had  another  reflection,  which  assisted  me  also  to 
comfort  my  mind  with  hopes  ;  and  this  was,  compar- 
ing my  present  condition  with  wrhat  I  had  deserved, 
and  had  therefore  reason  to  expect  from  the  hand  of 
Providence.  I  had  lived  a  dreadful  life,  perfectly 
destitute  of  the  knowledge  and  fear  of  God.     I  had 

[146] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

been  well  instructed  by  father  and  mother ;  neither 
had  they  been  wanting  to  me  in  their  early  endeav- 
ours to  infuse  a  religious  awe  of  God  into  my  mind, 
a  sense  of  my  duty,  and  of  what  the  nature  and  end 
of  my  being  required  of  me.  But,  alas  !  falling  early 
into  the  seafaring  life,  which,  of  all  the  lives,  is  the 
most  destitute  of  the  fear  of  God,  though  His  terrors 
are  always  before  them  ;  I  say,  falling  early  into  the 
seafaring  life,  and  into  seafaring  company,  all  that 
little  sense  of  religion  which  I  had  entertained  was 
laughed  out  of  me  by  my  messmates  ;  by  a  hardened 
despising  of  dangers,  and  the  views  of  death,  which 
grew  habitual  to  me ;  by  my  long  absence  from  all 
manner  of  opportunities  to  converse  with  anything 
but  what  was  like  myself,  or  to  hear  anything  that 
was  good,  or  tended  towards  it. 

So  void  was  I  of  everything  that  was  good,  or  of 
the  least  sense  of  what  I  was,  or  was  to  be,  that  in 
the  greatest  deliverances  I  enjoyed,  such  as  my  es- 
cape from  Sallee  ;  my  being  taken  up  by  the  Portu- 
guese master  of  the  ship ;  my  being  planted  so  well 
in  the  Brazils  ;  my  receiving  the  cargo  from  England, 
and  the  like ;  I  never  had  once  the  words,  "  Thank 
God,1'  so  much  as  on  my  mind,  or  in  my  mouth  ;  nor 
in  the  greatest  distress  had  I  so  much  as  a  thought 
to  pray  to  Him,  or  so  much  as  to  say,  "  Lord,  have 
mercy  upon  me  !  "  no,  nor  to  mention  the  name  of 
God,  unless  it  was  to  swear  by  and  blaspheme  it. 

I  had  terrible  reflections  upon  my  mind  for  many 
months,  as  I  have  already  observed,  on  the  account 
of  my  wicked  and  hardened  life  past ;  and  when  I 
looked  about  me,  and  considered  what  particular 
providences  had  attended  me  since  my  coming  into  this 
place,  and  how  God  had  dealt  bountifully  with  me, 
had  not  only  punished  me  less  than  my  iniquity  had 
deserved,  but  had  so  plentifully  provided  for  me ; 
this  gave  me  great  hopes  that  my  repentance  was 

[147] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

accepted,  and  that  God  had  yet  mercy  in  store  for 
me. 

With  these  reflections,  I  worked  my  mind  up,  not 
only  to  resignation  to  the  will  of  God  in  the  present 
disposition  of  my  circumstances,  but  even  to  a  sin- 
cere thankfulness  for  my  condition ;  and  that  I,  who 
was  yet  a  living  man,  ought  not  to  complain,  seeing 
I  had  not  the  due  punishment  of  my  sins ;  that  I 
enjoyed  so  many  mercies,  which  I  had  no  reason  to 
have  expected  in  that  place  ;  that  I  ought  never 
more  to  repine  at  my  condition,  but  to  rejoice,  and 
to  give  daily  thanks  for  that  daily  bread,  which  noth- 
ing but  a  crowd  of  wonders  could  have  brought ;  that 
I  ought  to  consider  I  had  been  fed  even  by  miracle, 
even  as  great  as  that  of  feeding  Elijah  by  ravens  ; 
nay,  by  a  long  series  of  miracles ;  and  that  I  could 
hardly  have  named  a  place  in  the  unhabitable  part 
of  the  world  where  I  could  have  been  cast  more  to 
my  advantage  ;  a  place  where,  as  I  had  no  society, 
which  was  my  affliction  on  one  hand,  so  I  found 
no  ravenous  beasts,  no  furious  wolves  or  tigers,  to 
threaten  my  life ;  no  venomous  creatures  or  poison- 
ous, which  I  might  feed  on  to  my  hurt ;  no  savages 
to  murder  and  devour  me. 

In  a  word,  as  my  life  was  a  life  of  sorrow  one  way, 
so  it  was  a  life  of  mercy  another  ;  and  I  wanted  noth- 
ing to  make  it  a  life  of  comfort,  but  to  be  able  to 
make  my  sense  of  God's  goodness  to  me,  and  care 
over  me  in  this  condition,  be  my  daily  consolation ; 
and  after  I  did  make  a  just  improvement  of  these 
things,  I  went  away,  and  was  no  more  sad. 

I  had  now  been  here  so  long,  that  many  things 
which  I  brought  on  shore  for  my  help  were  either 
quite  gone,  or  very  much  wasted,  and  near  spent. 
My  ink,  as  I  observed,  had  been  gone  for  some  time, 
all  but  a  very  little,  which  I  eked  out  with  water, 
a  little  and  a  little,  till  it  was  so  pale  it  scarce  left 

[148] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

any  appearance  of  black  upon  the  paper.  As  long 
as  it  lasted,  I  made  use  of  it  to  minute  down  the 
days  of  the  month  on  which  any  remarkable  thing 
happened  to  me.  And,  first,  by  casting  up  times 
past,  I  remember  that  there  was  a  strange  concur- 
rence of  days  in  the  various  providences  which  befell 
me,  and  which,  if  I  had  been  superstitiously  inclined 
to  observe  days  as  fatal  or  fortunate,  I  might  have 
had  reason  to  have  looked  upon  with  a  great  deal  of 
curiosity. 

First,  I  had  observed  that  the  same  day  that  I 
broke  away  from  my  father  and  my  friends,  and  run 
away  to  Hull,  in  order  to  go  to  sea,  the  same  day 
afterwards  I  was  taken  by  the  Sallee  man-of-war,  and 
made  a  slave. 

The  same  day  of  the  year  that  I  escaped  out  of 
the  wreck  of  that  ship  in  Yarmouth  Roads,  that 
same  day-year  afterwards  I  made  my  escape  from 
Sallee  in  the  boat. 

The  same  day  of  the  year  I  was  born  on,  viz.,  the 
30th  of  September,  that  same  day  I  had  my  life  so 
miraculously  saved  twenty-six  years  after,  when  I 
was  cast  on  shore  in  this  island  ;  so  that  my  wicked 
life  and  my  solitary  life  began  both  on  a  day. 

The  next  thing  to  my  ink's  being  wasted,  was  that 
of  ray  bread  ;  I  mean  the  biscuit,  which  I  brought 
out  of  the  ship.  This  I  had  husbanded  to  the  last 
degree,  allowing  myself  but  one  cake  of  bread  a  day 
for  above  a  year ;  and  yet  I  was  quite  without  bread 
for  near  a  year  before  I  got  any  corn  of  my  own  ; 
and  great  reason  I  had  to  be  thankful  that  I  had  any 
at  all,  the  getting  it  being,  as  has  been  already 
observed,  next  to  miraculous. 

My  clothes  began  to  decay,  too,  mightily.  As  to 
linen,  I  had  none  a  good  while,  except  some  chequered 
shirts  which  I  found  in  the  chests  of  the  other  sea- 
men, and  which  I  carefully  preserved,  because  many 

[149] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

times  I  could  bear  no  other  clothes  on  but  a  shirt ; 
and  it  was  a  very  great  help  to  me  that  I  had,  among 
all  the  men^  clothes  of  the  ship,  almost  three  dozen 
of  shirts.  There  were  also  several  thick  watch-coats 
of  the  seamen^s  which  were  left  indeed,  but  they 
were  too  hot  to  wear ;  and  though  it  is  true  that 
the  weather  was  so  violent  hot  that  there  was  no 
need  of  clothes,  yet  I  could  not  go  quite  naked,  no, 
though  I  had  been  inclined  to  it,  which  I  was  not, 
nor  could  abide  the  thoughts  of  it,  though  I  was  all 
alone. 

The  reason  why  I  could  not  go  quite  naked  was,  I 
could  not  bear  the  heat  of  the  sun  so  well  when  quite 
naked  as  with  some  clothes  on ;  nay,  the  very  heat 
frequently  blistered  my  skin  ;  whereas,  with  a  shirt 
on,  the  air  itself  made  some  motion,  and  whistling 
under  that  shirt,  was  twofold  cooler  than  without 
it.  No  more  could  I  ever  bring  myself  to  go  out 
in  the  heat  of  the  sun  without  a  cap  or  a  hat.  The 
heat  of  the  sun  beating  with  such  violence,  as  it  does 
in  that  place,  would  give  me  the  headache  presently, 
by  darting  so  directly  on  my  head,  without  a  cap  or 
hat  on,  so  that  I  could  not  bear  it ;  whereas,  if  I  put 
on  my  hat,  it  would  presently  go  away. 

Upon  those  views,  I  began  to  consider  about  put- 
ting the  few  rags  I  had,  which  I  called  clothes,  into 
some  order.  I  had  worn  out  all  the  waistcoats  I 
had,  and  my  business  was  now  to  try  if  I  could  not 
make  jackets  out  of  the  great  watch-coats  which  I 
had  by  me,  and  with  such  other  materials  as  I  had  ;  so 
I  set  to  work  a-tailoring,  or  rather,  indeed^  a-botch- 
ing,  for  I  made  most  piteous  work  of  it.  However, 
1  made  shift  to  make  two  or  three  new  waistcoats, 
which  I  hoped  would  serve  me  a  great  while.  As 
for  breeches  or  drawers,  I  made  but  a  very  sorry  shift 
indeed  till  afterward. 

I  have  mentioned  that  I  saved   the  skins  of  all 

[  150  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

the  creatures  that  I  killed,  I  mean  four-footed  ones, 
and  I  had  hung  them  up  stretched  out  with  sticks 
in  the  sun,  by  which  means  some  of  them  were  so 
dry  and  hard  that  they  were  fit  for  little,  but  others 
it  seems  were  very  useful.  The  first  thing  I  made 
of  these  was  a  great  cap  for  my  head,  with  the  hair 
on  the  outside,  to  shoot  off  the  rain  ;  and  this  I 
performed  so  well,  that  after  this  I  made  me  a  suit 
of  clothes  wholly  of  these  skins,  that  is  to  say,  a 
waistcoat,  and  breeches  open  at  knees,  and  both 
loose,  for  they  were  rather  wanting  to  keep  me  cool 
than  to  keep  me  warm.  I  must  not  omit  to  acknowl- 
edge that  they  were  wretchedly  made ;  for  if  I 
was  a  bad  carpenter,  I  was  a  worse  tailor.  How- 
ever, they  were  such  as  I  made  very  good  shift  with ; 
and  when  I  was  abroad,  if  it  happened  to  rain,  the 
hair  of  my  waistcoat  and  cap  being  outermost,  I  was 
kept  very  dry. 

After  this  I  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  and  pains 
to  make  me  an  umbrella.  I  was  indeed  in  great  want 
of  one,  and  had  a  great  mind  to  make  one.  I  had 
seen  them  made  in  the  Brazils,  where  they  are  very 
useful  in  the  great  heats  which  are  there ;  and  I  felt 
the  heats  every  jot  as  great  here,  and  greater  too, 
being  nearer  the  equinox.  Besides,  as  I  was  obliged 
to  be  much  abroad,  it  was  a  most  useful  thing  to  me, 
as  well  for  the  rains  as  the  heats.  I  took  a  world 
of  pains  at  it,  and  wras  a  great  while  before  I  could 
make  anything  likely  to  hold  ;  nay,  after  I  thought 
I  had  hit  the  way,  I  spoiled  two  or  three  before  I 
made  one  to  my  mind ;  but  at  last  I  made  one  that 
answered  indifferently  well.  The  main  difficulty  I 
found  was  to  make  it  to  let  down.  I  could  make  it  to 
spread  ;  but  if  it  did  not  let  down  too,  and  draw  in, 
it  was  not  portable  for  me  any  way  but  just  over  my 
head,  which  would  not  do.  However,  at  last,  as  I 
said,  I   made  one  to  answer,   and   covered   it   with 

[  151  1 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

skins,  the  hair  upwards,  so  that  it  cast  off  the  rains 
like  a  pent-house,  and  kept  off  the  sun  so  effectually, 
that  I  could  walk  out  in  the  hottest  of  the  weather 
with  greater  advantage  than  I  could  before  in  the 
coolest ;  and  when  I  had  no  need  of  it,  could  close 
it,  and  carry  it   under  my   arm. 

Thus  I  lived  mighty  comfortably,  my  mind  being 
entirely  composed  by  resigning  to  the  will  of  God, 
and  throwing  myself  wholly  upon  the  disposal  of  His 
providence.  This  made  my  life  better  than  sociable ; 
for  when  I  began  to  regret  the  want  of  conversation, 
I  would  ask  myself  whether  thus  conversing  mutually 
with  my  own  thoughts  and,  as  I  hope  I  may  say, 
with  even  God  Himself,  by  ejaculations,  was  not 
better  than  the  utmost  enjoyment  of  human  society 
in  the  world  ? 

I  cannot  say  that  after  this,  for  five  years,  any 
extraordinary  thing  happened  to  me  ;  but  I  lived  on 
in  the  same  course,  in  the  same  posture  and  place, 
just  as  before.  The  chief  things  I  was  employed  in, 
besides  my  yearly  labour  of  planting  my  barley  and 
rice,  and  curing  my  raisins,  of  both  which  I  always 
kept  up  just  enough  to  have  sufficient  stock  of  one 
year's  provisions  beforehand  —  I  say,  besides  this 
yearly  labour,  and  my  daily  labour  of  going  out 
with  my  gun,  I  had  one  labour,  to  make  me  a  canoe, 
which  at  last  I  finished  ;  so  that  by  digging  a  canal 
to  it  of  six  feet  wide,  and  four  feet  deep,  I  brought 
it  into  the  creek,  almost  half  a  mile.  As  for  the  first, 
which  was  so  vastly  big,  as  I  made  it  without  con- 
sidering beforehand,  as  I  ought  to  do,  how  I  should 
be  able  to  launch  it ;  so,  never  being  able  to  bring  it 
to  the  water,  or  bring  the  water  to  it,  I  was  obliged, 
to  let  it  lie  where  it  was,  as  a  memorandum  to  teach 
me  to  be  wiser  next  time.  Indeed,  the  next  time, 
though  I  could  not  get  a  tree  proper  for  it,  and  in  a 
place  where  I  could  not  get  the  water  to  it  at  any 

[152] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

less  distance  than,  as  I  have  said,  near  half  a  mile, 
yet  as  I  saw  it  was  practicable  at  last,  I  never  gave 
it  over  ;  and  though  I  was  near  two  years  about  it, 
yet  I  never  grudged  my  labour,  in  hopes  of  having  a 
boat  to  go  off  to  sea  at  last. 

However,  though  my>  little  periagua  was  finished, 
yet  the  size  of  it  was  not  at  all  answerable  to  the 
design  which  I  had  in  view  when  I  made  the  first ;  I 
mean,  of  venturing  over  to  the  terra  ftrrna,  where  it 
was  above  forty  miles  broad.  Accordingly,  the 
smallness  of  my  boat  assisted  to  put  an  end  to  that 
design,  and  now  I  thought  no  more  of  it.  But  as  I 
had  a  boat,  my  next  design  was  to  make  a  tour  round 
the  island  ;  for  as  I  had  been  on  the  other  side  in  one 
place,  crossing,  as  I  have  already  described  it,  over 
the  land,  so  the  discoveries  I  made  in  that  little  jour- 
ney made  me  very  eager  to  see  other  parts  of  the 
coast ;  and  now  I  had  a  boat,  I  thought  of  nothing 
but  sailing  round  the  island. 

For  this  purpose,  that  I  might  do  everything  with 
discretion  and  consideration,  I  fitted  up  a  little  mast 
to  my  boat,  and  made  a  sail  to  it  out  of  some  of  the 
pieces  of  the  ship's  sail,  which  lay  in  store,  and  of 
which  I  had  a  great  stock  by  me. 

Having  fitted  my  mast  and  sail,  and  tried  the  boat, 
I  found  she  would  sail  very  well.  Then  I  made  little 
lockers,  or  boxes,  at  either  end  of  my  boat,  to  put 
provisions,  necessaries,  and  ammunition,  &c.,  into, 
to  be  kept  dry,  either  from  rain  or  the  spray  of 
the  sea  ;  and  a  little  long  hollow  place  I  cut  in 
the  inside  of  the  boat,  where  I  could  lay  my  gun, 
making  a  flap  to  hang  down  over  it  to  keep  it 
dry. 

I  fixed  my  umbrella  also  in  a  step  at  the  stern,  like 
a  mast,  to  stand  over  my  head,  and  keep  the  heat  of 
the  sun  off  of  me,  like  an  awning  ;  and  thus  I  every 
now  and  then  took  a  little  voyage  upon  the  sea,  but 

[153] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

never  went  far  out,  nor  far  from  the  little  creek.  But 
at  last,  being  eager  to  view  the  circumference  of  my 
little  kingdom,  I  resolved  upon  my  tour;  and  ac- 
cordingly I  victualled  my  ship  for  the  voyage,  putting 
in  two  dozen  of  my  loaves  (cakes  I  should  rather  call 
them)  of  barley  bread,  an  earthen  pot  full  of  parched 
rice,  a  food  I  eat  a  great  deal  of,  a  little  bottle  of 
rum,  half  a  goat,  and  powder  and  shot  for  killing 
more,  and  two  large  watch-coats,  of  those  which,  as 
I  mentioned  before,  I  had  saved  out  of  the  seamen's 
chests  ;  these  I  took,  one  to  lie  upon,  and  the  other 
to  cover  me  in  the  night. 

It  was  the  6th  of  November,  in  the  sixth  year  of 
my  reign,  or  my  captivity,  which  you  please,  that  I 
set  out  on  this  voyage,  and  I  found  it  much  longer 
than  I  expected;  for  though  the  island  itself  was 
not  very  large,  yet  when  I  came  to  the  east  side  of 
it,  I  found  a  great  ledge  of  rocks  lie  out  above  two 
leagues  into  the  sea,  some  above  water,  some  under 
it,  and  beyond  that  a  shoal  of  sand,  lying  dry  half  a 
league  more ;  so  that  I  was  obliged  to  go  a  great  way 
out  to  sea  to  double  the  point. 

When  first  I  discovered  them,  I  was  going  to  give 
over  my  enterprise,  and  come  back  again,  not  know- 
ing how  far  it  might  oblige  me  to  go  out  to  sea,  and, 
above  all,  doubting  how  I  should  get  back  again,  so 
I  came  to  an  anchor ;  for  I  had  made  me  a  kind  of 
an  anchor  with  a  piece  of  a  broken  grappling  which 
I  got  out  of  the  ship. 

Having  secured  my  boat,  I  took  my  gun  and  went 
on  shore,  climbing  up  upon  a  hill,  which  seemed  to 
overlook  that  point,  where  I  saw  the  full  extent  of  it, 
and  resolved  to  venture. 

In  my  viewing  the  sea  from  that  hill,  where  I 
stood,  I  perceived  a  strong,  and  indeed  a  most  furious 
current,  which  run  to  the  east,  and  even  came  close 
to  the  point ;  and  I  took  the  more  notice  of  it,  because 

[154] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

I  saw  there  might  be  some  danger  that  when  I  came 
into  it  I  might  be  carried  out  to  sea  by  the  strength 
of  it,  and  not  be  able  to  make  the  island  again.  And 
indeed,  had  I  not  gotten  first  up  upon  this  hill,  I 
believe  it  would  have  been  so  ;  for  there  was  the  same 
current  on  the  other  side  the  island,  only  that  it  set 
off  at  a  farther  distance  ;  and  I  saw  there  was  a  strong 
eddy  under  the  shore  ;  so  I  had  nothing  to  do  but  to 
get  in  out  of  the  first  current,  and  I  should  presently 
be  in  an  eddy. 

I  lay  here,  however,  two  days ;  because  the  wind, 
blowing  pretty  fresh  at  E.S.E.,  and  that  being  just 
contrary  to  the  said  current,  made  a  great  breach  of 
the  sea  upon  the  point ;  so  that  it  was  not  safe  for 
me  to  keep  too  close  to  the  shore  for  the  breach,  nor 
to  go  too  far  off  because  of  the  stream. 

The  third  day,  in  the  morning,  the  wind  having 
abated  overnight,  the  sea  was  calm,  and  I  ventured. 
But  I  am  a  warning  piece  again  to  all  rash  and 
ignorant  pilots  ;  for  no  sooner  was  I  come  to  the 
point,  when  even  I  was  not  my  boa^s  length  from 
the  shore,  but  I  found  myself  in  a  great  depth  of 
water,  and  a  current  like  the  sluice  of  a  mill.  It 
carried  my  boat  along  with  it  with  such  violence, 
that  all  I  could  do  could  not  keep  her  so  much  as  on 
the  edge  of  it,  but  I  found  it  hurried  me  farther  and 
farther  out  from  the  eddy,  which  was  on  my  left 
hand.  There  was  no  wind  stirring  to  help  me,  and 
all  I  could  do  with  my  paddlers  signified  nothing. 
And  now  I  began  to  give  myself  over  for  lost ;  for, 
as  the  current  was  on  both  sides  the  island,  I  knew 
in  a  few  leagues  distance  they  must  join  again,  and 
then  I  was  irrecoverably  gone.  Nor  did  I  see  any 
possibility  of  avoiding  it ;  so  that  I  had  no  prospect 
before  me  but  of  perishing ;  not  by  the  sea,  for  that 
was  calm  enough,  but  of  starving  for  hunger.  I  had 
indeed  found  a  tortoise  on  the  shore,  as  big  almost 

[155] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

as  I  could  lift,  and  had  tossed  it  into  the  boat ;  and 
I  had  a  great  jar  of  fresh  water,  that  is  to  say,  one 
of  my  earthen  pots  ;  but  what  was  all  this  to  being 
driven  into  the  vast  ocean,  where,  to  be  sure,  there 
was  no  shore,  no  mainland  or  island,  for  a  thousand 
leagues  at  least. 

And  now  I  saw  how  easy  it  was  for  the  providence 
of  God  to  make  the  most  miserable  condition  man- 
kind could  be  in  worse.  Now  I  looked  back  upon 
my  desolate  solitary  island  as  the  most  pleasant 
place  in  the  world,  and  all  the  happiness  my  heart 
could  wish  for  was  to  be  but  there  again.  I  stretched 
out  my  hands  to  it,  with  eager  wishes.  "  O  happy 
desert  ! "  said  I,  "  I  shall  never  see  thee  more.  O 
miserable  creature,"  said  I,  "  whither  am  I  going  ?  " 
Then  I  reproached  myself  with  my  unthankful 
temper,  and  how  I  had  repined  at  my  solitary  con- 
dition ;  and  now  what  would  I  give  to  be  on  shore 
there  again.  Thus  we  never  see  the  true  state  of 
our  condition  till  it  is  illustrated  to  us  by  its  con- 
traries; nor  know  how  to  value  what  we  enjoy,  but 
by  the  want  of  it.  It  is  scarce  possible  to  imagine 
the  consternation  I  was  now  in,  being  driven  from 
my  beloved  island  (for  so  it  appeared  to  me  now  to 
be)  into  the  wide  ocean,  almost  two  leagues,  and  in 
the  utmost  despair  of  ever  recovering  it  again. 
However,  I  worked  hard,  till  indeed  my  strength 
was  almost  exhausted,  and  kept  my  boat  as  much  to 
the  northward,  that  is,  towards  the  side  of  the  cur- 
rent which  the  eddy  lay  on,  as  possibly  I  could  ; 
when  about  noon,  as  the  sun  passed  the  meridian,  I 
thought  I  felt  a  little  breeze  of  wind  in  my  face, 
springing  up  from  the  S.S.E.  This  cheered  my 
heart  a  little,  and  especially  when,  in  about  half-an- 
hour  more,  it  blew  a  pretty  small  gentle  gale.  By 
this  time  I  was  gotten  at  a  frightful  distance  from 
the  island  ;  and  had  the  least  cloud  or  hazy  weather 

[156] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

intervened,  I  had  been  undone  another  way  too ;  for 
I  had  no  compass  on  board,  and  should  never  have 
known  how  to  have  steered  towards  the  island  if  I 
had  but  once  lost  sight  of  it.  But  the  weather  con- 
tinuing clear,  I  applied  myself  to  get  up  my  mast 
again,  and  spread  my  sail,  standing  away  to  the  north 
as  much  as  possible,  to  get  out  of  the  current. 

Just  as  I  had  set  my  mast  and  sail,  and  the  boat 
began  to  stretch  away,  I  saw  even  by  the  clearness 
of  the  water  some  alteration  of  the  current  was  near  ; 
for  where  the  current  was  so  strong,  the  water  was 
foul.  But  perceiving  the  water  clear,  I  found  the 
current  abate,  and  presently  I  found  to  the  east,  at 
about  half  a  mile,  a  breach  of  the  sea  upon  some 
rocks.  These  rocks  I  found  caused  the  current  to 
part  again  ;  and  as  the  main  stress  of  it  ran  away 
more  southerly,  leaving  the  rocks  to  the  north-east, 
so  the  other  returned  by  the  repulse  of  the  rocks,  and 
made  a  strong  eddy,  which  ran  back  again  to  the 
north-west  with  a  very  sharp  stream. 

They  who  know  what  it  is  to  have  a  reprieve 
brought  to  them  upon  the  ladder,  or  to  be  rescued 
from  thieves  just  going  to  murder  them,  or  who 
have  been  in  such  like  extremities,  may  guess  what 
my  present  surprise  of  joy  was,  and  how  gladly  I 
put  my  boat  into  the  stream  of  this  eddy ;  and  the 
wind  also  freshening,  how  gladly  I  spread  my  sail  to 
it,  running  cheerfully  before  the  wind,  and  with  a 
strong  tide  or  eddy  under  foot. 

This  eddy  carried  me  about  a  league  in  my  way 
back  again,  directly  towards  the  island,  but  about 
two  leagues  more  to  the  northward  than  the  current 
which  carried  me  away  at  first  ;  so  that  when  I  came 
near  the  island,  I  found  myself  open  to  the  northern 
shore  of  it,  that  is  to  say,  the  other  end  of  the  island, 
opposite  to  that  which  I  went  out  from. 

When  I  had  made  something  more  than  a  league 

[  15?  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

of  way  by  the  help  of  this  current  or  eddy,  I  found 
it  was  spent,  and  served  me  no  farther.  However,  I 
found  that  being  between  the  two  great  currents, 
viz.,  that  on  the  south  side,  which  had  hurried  me 
away,  and  that  on  the  north,  which  lay  about  a 
league  on  the  other  side ;  I  say,  between  these  two, 
in  the  wake  of  the  island,  I  found  the  water  at  least 
still,  and  running  no  way  ;  and  having  still  a  breeze 
of  wind  fair  for  me,  I  kept  on  steering  directly  for 
the  island,  though  not  making  such  fresh  way  as  I 
did  before. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  evening,  being  then 
within  about  a  league  of  the  island,  I  found  the 
point  of  the  rocks  which  occasioned  this  disaster 
stretching  out,  as  is  described  before,  to  the  south- 
ward, and  casting  off  the  current  more  southwardly 
had,  of  course,  made  another  eddy  to  the  north,  and 
this  I  found  very  strong,  but  not  directly  setting  the 
way  my  course  lay,  which  was  due  west,  but  almost 
full  north.  However,  having  a  fresh  gale,  I  stretched 
across  this  eddy,  slanting  north-west ;  and  in  about 
an  hour  came  within  about  a  mile  of  the  shore, 
where,  it  being  smooth  water,  I  soon  got  to  land. 

When  I  was  on  shore,  I  fell  on  my  knees,  and 
gave  God  thanks  for  my  deliverance,  resolving  to 
lay  aside  all  thoughts  of  my  deliverance  by  my  boat ; 
and  refreshing  myself  with  such  things  as  I  had, 
I  brought  my  boat  close  to  the  shore,  in  a  little  cove 
that  I  had  spied  under  some  trees,  and  laid  me  down 
to  sleep,  being  quite  spent  with  the  labour  and 
fatigue  of  the  voyage. 

I  was  now  at  a  great  loss  which  way  to  get  home 
with  my  boat.  I  had  run  so  much  hazard,  and  knew 
too  much  the  case,  to  think  of  attempting  it  by  the 
way  I  went  out ;  and  what  might  be  at  the  other 
side  (I  mean  the  west  side)  I  knew  not,  nor  had  I 
any  mind  to  run  any  more  ventures.     So  I  only  re- 

[158] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

solved  in  the  morning  to  make  my  way  westward 
along  the  shore,  and  to  see  if  there  was  no  creek 
where  I  might  lay  up  my  frigate  in  safety,  so  as  to 
have  her  again  if  I  wanted  her.  In  about  three 
miles,  or  thereabouts,  coasting  the  shore,  I  came  to 
a  very  good  inlet  or  bay,  about  a  mile  over,  which 
narrowed  till  it  came  to  a  very  little  rivulet  or 
brook,  where  I  found  a  very  convenient  harbour  for 
my  boat,  and  where  she  lay  as  if  she  had  been  in  a 
little  dock  made  on  purpose  for  her.  Here  I  put  in, 
and  having  stowed  my  boat  very  safe,  I  went  on 
shore  to  look  about  me,  and  see  where  I  was. 

I  soon  found  I  had  but  a  little  passed  by  the 
place  where  I  had  been  before,  when  I  travelled  on 
foot  to  that  shore  ;  so  taking  nothing  out  of  my 
boat  but  my  gun  and  my  umbrella,  for  it  was  ex- 
ceedingly hot,  I  began  my  march.  The  way  was 
comfortable  enough  after  such  a  voyage  as  I  had 
been  upon,  and  I  reached  my  old  bower  in  the  even- 
ing, where  I  found  everything  standing  as  I  left  it  ; 
for  I  always  kept  it  in  good  order,  being,  as  I  said 
before,  my  country   house. 

I  got  over  the  fence,  and  laid  me  down  in  the 
shade  to  rest  my  limbs,  for  I  was  very  weary,  and 
fell  asleep.  But  judge  you,  if  you  can,  that  read 
my  story,  what  a  surprize  I  must  be  in,  when  I  was 
waked  out  of  my  sleep  by  a  voice  calling  me  by  my 
name  several  times,  "  Robin,  Robin,  Robin  Crusoe, 
poor  Robin  Crusoe  !  Where  are  you,  Robin  Crusoe  ? 
Where  are  you  ?     Where  have  you  been  ?  " 

I  was  so  dead  asleep  at  first,  being  fatigued  with 
rowing,  or  paddling,  as  it  is  called,  the  first  part  of 
the  day,  and  with  walking  the  latter  part,  that  I  did 
not  wake  thoroughly  ;  but  dozing  between  sleeping 
and  waking,  thought  I  dreamed  that  somebody 
spoke  to  me.  But  as  the  voice  continued  to  repeat 
"  Robin   Crusoe,  Robin  Crusoe,"  at  last  I  began  to 

[  159  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

wake  more  perfectly,  and  was  at  first  dreadfully 
frighted,  and  started  up  in  the  utmost  consternation. 
But  no  sooner  were  my  eyes  open,  but  I  saw  my  Poll 
sitting  on  the  top  of  the  hedge,  and  immediately  knew 
that  it  was  he  that  spoke  to  me  ;  for  just  in  such 
bemoaning  language  I  had  used  to  talk  to  him,  and 
teach  him  ;  and  he  had  learned  it  so  perfectly,  that 
he  would  sit  upon  my  finger,  and  lay  his  bill  close 
to  my  face,  and  cry,  "  Poor  Robin  Crusoe  !  Where 
are 'you  ?  Where  have  you  been  ?  How  come  you 
here  ?  "  and  such  things  as  I  had  taught  him. 

However,  even  though  I  knew  it  was  the  parrot, 
and  that  indeed  it  could  be  nobody  else,  it  was  a 
good  while  before  I  could  compose  myself.  First,  I 
was  amazed  how  the  creature  got  thither,  and  then, 
how  he  should  just  keep  about  the  place,  and  no- 
where else.  But  as  I  was  well  satisfied  it  could  be 
nobody  but  honest  Poll,  I  got  it  over  ;  and  holding 
out  my  hand,  and  calling  him  by  his  name,  Poll,  the 
sociable  creature  came  to  me,  and  sat  upon  my 
thumb,  as  he  used  to  do,  and  continued  talking  to 
me,  "  Poor  Robin  Crusoe  !  and  how  did  I  come  here  ? 
and  where  had  I  been  ?  "  just  as  if  he  had  been  over- 
joyed to  see  me  again  ;  and  so  I  carried  him  home 
along  with  me. 

I  had  now  had  enough  of  rambling  to  sea  for  some 
time,  and  had  enough  to  do  for  many  days  to  sit 
still,  and  reflect  upon  the  danger  I  had  been  in.  I 
would  have  been  very  glad  to  have  had  my  boat 
again  on  my  side  of  the  island  ;  but  I  knew  not  how 
it  was  practicable  to  get  it  about.  As  to  the  east 
side  of  the  island,  which  I  had  gone  round,  I  knew 
well  enough  there  was  no  venturing  that  way  ;  my 
very  heart  would  shrink,  and  my  very  blood  run 
chill,  but  to  think  of  it.  And  as  to  the  other  side 
of  the  island,  I  did  not  know  how  it  might  be  there ; 
but  supposing  the  current  ran  with  the  same  force 

[160] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

against  the  shore  at  the  east  as  it  passed  by  it 
on  the  other,  I  might  run  the  same  risk  of  being 
driven  down  the  stream,  and  carried  by  the  island, 
as  I  had  been  before  of  being  carried  away  from  it. 
So,  with  these  thoughts,  I  contented  myself  to  be 
without  any  boat,  though  it  had  been  the  product 
of  so  many  months''  labour  to  make  it,  and  of  so 
many  more  to  get  it  unto  the  sea. 

In  this  government  of  my  temper  I  remained  near 
a  year,  lived  a  very  sedate,  retired  life,  as  you  may 
well  suppose ;  and  my  thoughts  being  very  much 
composed  as  to  my  condition,  and  fully  comforted  in 
resigning  myself  to  the  dispositions  of  Providence,  I 
thought  I  lived  really  very  happily  in  all  things, 
except  that  of  society. 

I  improved  myself  in  this  time  in  all  the  mechanic 
exercises  which  my  necessities  put  me  upon  applying 
myself  to,  and  I  believe  could,  upon  occasion,  make 
a  very  good  carpenter,  especially  considering  how 
few  tools  I  had.  Besides  this,  I  arrived  at  an 
unexpected  perfection  in  my  earthenware,  and  con- 
trived well  enough  to  make  them  with  a  wheel, 
which  I  found  infinitely  easier  and  better,  because 
I  made  things  round  and  shapable  which  before  were 
filthy  things  indeed  to  look  on.  But  I  think  I  was 
never  more  vain  of  my  own  performance,  or  more  joy- 
ful for  anything  I  found  out,  than  for  my  being  able 
to  make  a  tobacco-pipe.  And  though  it  was  a  very 
ugly  clumsy  thing  when  it  was  done,  and  only  burnt 
red,  like  other  earthenware,  yet  as  it  was  hard  and 
firm,  and  would  draw  the  smoke,  I  was  exceedingly 
comforted  with  it ;  for  I  had  been  always  used  to 
smoke,  and  there  were  pipes  in  the  ship,  but  I  forgot 
them  at  first,  not  knowing  that  there  was  tobacco  in 
the  island ;  and  afterwards,  when  I  searched  the  ship 
again,  I  could  not  come  at  any  pipes  at  all. 

In  my  wicker- ware  also  I  improved  much,  and  made 
VOL.  i.  - 11  [  161  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

abundance  of  necessary  baskets,  as  well  as  my  inven- 
tion showed  me ;  though  not  very  handsome,  yet 
they  were  such  as  were  very  handy  and  convenient 
for  my  laying  things  up  in,  or  fetching  things  home 
in.  For  example,  if  I  killed  a  goat  abroad,  I  could 
hang  it  up  in  a  tree,  flay  it,  and  dress  it,  and  cut  it 
in  pieces,  and  bring  it  home  in  a  basket ;  and  the 
like  by  a  turtle  ;  I  could  cut  it  up,  take  out  the  eggs, 
and  a  piece  or  two  of  the  flesh,  which  was  enough 
for  me,  and  bring  them  home  in  a  basket,  and  leave 
the  rest  behind  me.  Also  large  deep  baskets  were 
my  receivers  for  my  corn,  which  I  always  rubbed  out 
as  soon  as  it  was  dry,  and  cured,  and  kept  it  in  great 
baskets. 

I  began  now  to  perceive  my  powder  abated  con- 
siderably, and  this  was  a  want  which  it  was  impos- 
sible for  me  to  supply,  and  I  began  seriously  to 
consider  what  I  must  do  when  I  should  have  no 
more  powder ;  that  is  to  say,  how  I  should  do  to  kill 
any  goats.  I  had,  as  is  observed,  in  the  third  year 
of  my  being  here  kept  a  young  kid,  and  bred  her  up 
tame,  and  I  was  in  hope  of  getting  a  he-goat.  But 
I  could  not  by  any  means  bring  it  to  pass,  till  my 
kid  grew  an  old  goat ;  and  I  could  never  find  in  my 
heart  to  kill  her,  till  she  died  at  last  of  mere  age. 

But  being  now  in  the  eleventh  year  of  my  resi- 
dence, and,  as  I  have  said,  my  ammunition  growing 
low,  I  set  myself  to  study  some  art  to  trap  and  snare 
the  goats,  to  see  whether  I  could  not  catch  some  of 
them  alive ;  and  particularly,  I  wanted  a  she-goat 
great  with  young. 

To  this  purpose,  I  made  snares  to  hamper  them, 
and  I  do  believe  they  were  more  than  once  taken  in 
them ;  but  my  tackle  was  not  good,  for  I  had  no 
wire,  and  I  always  found  them  broken,  and  my  bait 
devoured.  At  length  I  resolved  to  try  a  pitfall ;  so 
I  dug  several  large  pits  in  the  earth,  in  places  where 

[162] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

I  had  observed  the  goats  used  to  feed,  and  over  these 
pits  I  placed  hurdles,  of  my  own  making  too,  with  a 
great  weight  upon  them  ;  and  several  times  I  put  ears 
of  barley  and  dry  rice,  without  setting  the  trap,  and 
I  could  easily  perceive  that  the  goats  had  gone  in 
and  eaten  up  the  corn,  for  I  could  see  the  mark  of 
their  feet.  At  length  I  set  three  traps  in  one  night, 
and  going  the  next  morning,  I  found  them  all  stand- 
ing, and  yet  the  bait  eaten  and  gone  ;  this  was  very 
discouraging.  However,  I  altered  my  trap ;  and, 
not  to  trouble  you  with  particulars,  going  one  morn- 
ing to  see  my  trap,  I  found  in  one  of  them  a  large 
old  he-goat,  and  in  one  of  the  other  three  kids,  a  male 
and  two  females. 

As  to  the  old  one,  I  knew  not  what  to  do  with 
him,  he  was  so  fierce  I  durst  not  go  into  the  pit  to 
him ;  that  is  to  say,  to  go  about  to  bring  him  away 
alive,  which  was  what  I  wanted.  I  could  have  killed 
him,  but  that  was  not  my  business,  nor  would  it 
answer  my  end ;  so  I  even  let  him  out,  and  he  ran 
away,  as  if  he  had  been  frighted  out  of  his  wits.  But 
I  had  forgot  then  what  I  learned  afterwards,  that 
hunger  will  tame  a  lion.  If  I  had  let  him  stay  there 
three  or  four  days  without  food,  and  then  have  car- 
ried him  some  water  to  drink,  and  then  a  little  corn, 
he  would  have  been  as  tame  as  one  of  the  kids,  for 
they  are  mighty  sagacious,  tractable  creatures  where 
they  are  well  used. 

However,  for  the  present  I  let  him  go,  knowing 
no  better  at  that  time.  Then  I  went  to  the  three 
kids,  and  taking  them  one  by  one,  I  tied  them  with 
strings  together,  and  with  some  difficulty  brought 
them  all  home. 

It  was  a  good  while  before  they  would  feed,  but 
throwing  them  some  sweet  corn,  it  tempted  them, 
and  they  began  to  be  tame.  And  now  I  found  that 
if  I  expected  to  supply  myself  with  goat-flesh  when  I 

[163] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

had  no  powder  or  shot  left,  breeding  some  up  tame 
was  my  only  way,  when  perhaps  I  might  have  them 
about  my  house  like  a  flock  of  sheep. 

But  then  it  presently  occurred  to  me  that  I  must 
keep  the  tame  from  the  wild,  or  else  they  would 
always  run  wild  when  they  grew  up ;  and  the  only 
way  for  this  was  to  have  some  enclosed  piece  of 
ground,  well  fenced  either  with  hedge  or  pale,  to 
keep  them  in  so  effectually,  that  those  within  might 
not  break  out,  or  those  without  break  in. 

This  was  a  great  undertaking  for  one  pair  of 
hands ;  yet  as  I  saw  there  was  an  absolute  necessity 
of  doing  it,  my  first  piece  of  work  was  to  find  out  a 
proper  piece  of  ground,  viz.,  where  there  was  likely 
to  be  herbage  for  them  to  eat,  wTater  for  them  to 
drink,  and  cover  to  keep  them  from*  the  sun. 

Those  who  understand  such  enclosures  will  think 
I  had  very  little  contrivance  when  I  pitched  upon  a 
place  very  proper  for  all  these,  being  a  plain  open 
piece  of  meadow  land,  or  savanna  (as  our  people  call 
it  in  the  western  colonies),  which  had  two  or  three  lit- 
tle drills  of  fresh  water  in  it,  and  at  one  end  was  very 
woody ;  I  say,  they  will  smile  at  my  forecast,  when  I 
shall  tell  them  I  began  my  enclosing  of  this  piece  of 
ground  in  such  a  manner,  that  my  hedge  or  pale 
must  have  been  at  least  two  miles  about.  Nor  was 
the  madness  of  it  so  great  as  to  the  compass,  for  if  it 
was  ten  miles  about,  I  was  like  to  have  time  enough 
to  do  it  in.  But  I  did  not  consider  that  my  goats 
would  be  as  wild  in  so  much  compass  as  if  they  had 
had  the  whole  island,  and  I  should  have  so  much 
room  to  chase  them  in,  that  I  should  never  catch 
them. 

My  hedge  was  begun  and  carried  on,  I  believe, 
about  fifty  yards,  when  this  thought  occurred  to  me, 
so  I  presently  stopped  short,  and,  for  the  first  be- 
ginning, I  resolved  to  enclose  a  piece  of  about  150 

[164] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

yards  in  length,  and  100  yards  in  breadth  ;  which, 
as  it  would  maintain  as  many  ss  I  should  have  in 
any  reasonable  time,  so,  as  my  flock  increased,  I 
could  add  more   ground  to  my  enclosure. 

This  was  acting  with  some  prudence,  and  I  went 
to  work  with  courage.  I  was  about  three  months 
hedging  in  the  first  piece,  and,  till  I  had  done  it, 
I  tethered  the  three  kids  in  the  best  part  of  it,  and 
used  them  to  feed  as  near  me  as  possible,  to  make 
them  familiar  ;  and  very  often  I  would  go  and  carry 
them  some  ears  of  barley,  or  a  handful  of  rice,  and 
feed  them  out  of  my  hand  ;  so  that  after  my  en- 
closure was  finished,  and  I  let  them  loose,  they 
would  follow  me  up  and  down,  bleating  after  me 
for  a  handful  of  corn. 

This  answered  my  end,  and  in  about  a  year  and 
half  I  had  a  flock  of  about  twelve  goats,  kids  and 
all ;  and  in  two  years  more  I  had  three  and  forty, 
besides  several  that  I  took  and  killed  for  my  food. 
And  after  that  I  enclosed  five  several  pieces  of 
ground  to  feed  them  in,  with  little  pens  to  drive 
them  into,  to  take  them  as  I  wanted,  and  gates  out 
of  one  piece  of  ground  into  another. 

But  this  was  not  all,  for  now  I  not  only  had  goat's 
flesh  to  feed  on  when  I  pleased,  but  milk  too,  a 
thing  which,  indeed,  in  my  beginning,  I  did  not  so 
much  as  think  of,  and  which,  when  it  came  into  my 
thoughts,  was  really  an  agreeable  surprise.  For 
now  I  set  up  my  dairy,  and  had  sometimes  a  gallon 
or  two  of  milk  in  a  day ;  and  as  Nature,  who  gives 
supplies  of  food  to  every  creature,  dictates  even 
naturally  how  to  make  use  of  it,  so  I,  that  had  never 
milked  a  cow,  much  less  a  goat,  or  seen  butter  or 
cheese  made,  very  readily  and  handily,  though  after 
a  great  many  essays  and  miscarriages,  made  me 
both  butter  and  cheese  at  last,  and  never  wanted  it 
afterwards. 

[165] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

How  mercifully  can  our  great  Creator  treat  His 
creatures,  even  in  those  conditions  in  which  they 
seemed  to  be  overwhelmed  in  destruction  !  How 
can  He  sweeten  the  bitterest  providences,  and  give 
us  cause  to  praise  Him  for  dungeons  and  prisons ! 
What  a  table  was  here  spread  for  me  in  a  wilder- 
ness, where  I  saw  nothing  at  first  but  to  perish  for 
hunger ! 

It  would  have  made  a  stoic  smile,  to  have  seen 
me  and  my  little  family  sit  down  to  dinner.  There 
was  my  majesty,  the  prince  and  lord  of  the  whole 
island;  I  had  the  lives  of  all  my  subjects  at  my  abso- 
lute command.  I  could  hang,  draw,  give  liberty,  and 
take  it  away  ;  and  no  rebels  among  all  my  subjects. 

Then  to  see  how  like  a  king  I  dined,  too,  all 
alone,  attended  by  my  servants.  Poll,  as  if  he  had 
been  my  favourite,  was  the  only  person  permitted 
to  talk  to  me.  My  dog,  who  was  now  grown  very 
old  and  crazy,  and  had  found  no  species  to  multiply 
his  kind  upon,  sat  always  at  my  right  hand,  and 
two  cats,  one  on  one  side  the  table,  and  one  on  the 
other,  expecting  now  and  then  a  bit  from  my  hand, 
as  a  mark  of  special  favour. 

But  these  were  not  the  two  cats  which  I  brought 
on  shore  at  first,  for  they  were  both  of  them  dead, 
and  had  been  interred  near  my  habitation,  by  my 
own  hand.  But  one  of  them  having  multiplied  by 
I  know  not  what  kind  of  creature,  these  were  two 
which  I  had  preserved  tame,  whereas  the  rest  run 
wild  in  the  woods,  and  became  indeed  troublesome 
to  me  at  last ;  for  they  would  often  come  into  my 
house,  and  plunder  me  too,  till  at  last  I  was  obliged 
to  shoot  them,  and  did  kill  a  great  many  ;  at  length 
they  left  me.  With  this  attendance,  and  in  this 
plentiful  manner,  I  lived  ;  neither  could  I  be  said  to 
want  anything  but  society  ;  and  of  that  in  some  time 
after  this,  I  was  like  to  have  too  much. 

[166] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

I  was  something  impatient,  as  I  have  observed,  to 
have  the  use  of  my  boat,  though  very  loth  to  run 
any  more  hazards  ;  and  therefore  sometimes  I  sat 
contriving  ways  to  get  her  about  the  island,  and 
at  other  times  I  sat  myself  down  contented  enough 
without  her.  But  I  had  a  strange  uneasiness  in  my 
mind  to  go  down  to  the  point  of  the  island,  where, 
as  I  have  said,  in  my  last  ramble,  I  went  up  the  hill 
to  see  how  the  shore  lay,  and  how  the  current  set, 
that  I  might  see  what  I  had  to  do.  This  inclina- 
tion increased  upon  me  every  day,  and  at  length  I 
resolved  to  travel  thither  by  land,  following  the 
edge  of  the  shore.  I  did  so  ;  but  had  any  one  in 
England  been  to  meet  such  a  man  as  I  was,  it  must 
either  have  frighted  them,  or  raised  a  great  deal  of 
laughter ;  and  as  I  frequently  stood  still  to  look  at 
myself,  I  could  not  but  smile  at  the  notion  of  my 
travelling  through  Yorkshire,  with  such  an  equipage, 
and  in  such  a  dress.  Be  pleased  to  take  a  sketch  of 
my  figure,  as  follows. 

I  had  a  great  high  shapeless  cap,  made  of  a  goafs 
skin,  with  a  flap  hanging  down  behind,  as  well  to 
keep  the  sun  from  me,  as  to  shoot  the  rain  off  from 
running  into  my  neck  ;  nothing  being  so  hurtful  in 
these  climates  as  the  rain  upon  the  flesh,  under  the 
clothes. 

I  had  a  short  jacket  of  goat-skin,  the  skirts  coming 
down  to  about  the  middle  of  my  thighs ;  and  a  pair 
of  open-kneed  breeches  of  the  same.  The  breeches 
were  made  of  the  skin  of  an  old  he-goat,  whose  hair 
hung  down  such  a  length  on  either  side,  that,  like 
pantaloons,  it  reached  to  the  middle  of  my  legs. 
Stockings  and  shoes  I  had  none,  but  had  made  me 
a  pair  of  somethings,  I  scarce  know  what  to  call  them, 
like  buskins,  to  flap  over  my  legs,  and  lace  on  either 
side  like  spatterdashes  ;  but  of  a  most  barbarous 
shape,  as  indeed  were  all  the  rest  of  my  clothes. 

[  167  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

I  had  on  a  broad  belt  of  goat's  skin  dried,  which 
I  drew  together  with  two  thongs  of  the  same,  instead 
of  buckles ;  and  in  a  kind  of  a  frog  on  either  side  of 
this,  instead  of  a  sword  and  a  dagger,  hung  a  little 
saw  and  a  hatchet,  one  on  one  side,  one  on  the  other. 
I  had  another  belt,  not  so  broad,  and  fastened  in  the 
same  manner,  which  hung  over  my  shoulder  ;  and  at 
the  end  of  it,  under  my  left  arm,  hung  two  pouches, 
both  made  of  goafs  skin  too ;  in  one  of  which  hung 
my  powder,  in  the  other  my  shot.  At  my  back  I 
carried  my  basket,  on  my  shoulder  my  gun,  and  over 
my  head  a  great  clumsy  ugly  goat-skin  umbrella,  but 
which,  after  all,  was  the  most  necessary  thing  I  had 
about  me,  next  to  my  gun.  As  for  my  face,  the 
colour  of  it  was  really  not  so  mulatto-like  as  one 
might  expect  from  a  man  not  at  all  careful  of  it,  and 
living  within  nineteen  degrees  of  the  equinox.  My 
beard  I  had  once  suffered  to  grow  till  it  was  about  a 
quarter  of  a  yard  long ;  but  as  I  had  both  scissors 
and  razors  sufficient,  I  had  cut  it  pretty  short, 
except  what  grew  on  my  upper  lip,  which  I  had 
trimmed  into  a  large  pair  of  Mahometan  whiskers, 
such  as  I  had  seen  worn  by  some  Turks  whom  I 
saw  at  Sallee  ;  for  the  Moors  did  not  wear  such, 
though  the  Turks  did.  Of  these  mustachios  or 
whiskers,  I  will  not  say  they  were  long  enough  to 
hang  my  hat  upon  them,  but  they  were  of  a  length 
and  shape  monstrous  enough,  and  such  as,  in  Eng- 
land, would  have  passed  for  frightful. 

But  all  this  is  by-the-bye  ;  for,  as  to  my  figure,  I 
had  so  few  to  observe  me,  that  it  was  of  no  manner 
of  consequence  ;  so  I  say  no  more  to  that  part.  In 
this  kind  of  figure  I  went  my  new  journey,  and  was 
out  five  or  six  days.  I  travelled  first  along  the  sea- 
shore, directly  to  the  place  where  I  first  brought  my 
boat  to  an  anchor,  to  get  up  upon  the  rocks.  And 
having  no  boat  now  to  take  care  of,  I  went  over  the 

[168] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

land,  a  nearer  way,  to  the  same  height  that  I  was 
upon  before  ;  when,  looking  forward  to  the  point  of 
the  rocks  which  lay  out,  and  which  I  was  obliged  to 
double  with  my  boat,  as  is  said  above,  I  was  sur- 
prised to  see  the  sea  all  smooth  and  quiet,  no  rip- 
pling, no  motion,  no  current,  any  more  there  than  in 
other  places. 

I  was  at  a  strange  loss  to  understand  this,  and 
resolved  to  spend  some  time  in  the  observing  it,  to 
see  if  nothing  from  the  sets  of  the  tide  had  occa- 
sioned it.  But  I  was  presently  convinced  how  it 
was,  viz.,  that  the  tide  of  ebb  setting  from  the  west, 
and  joining  with  the  current  of  waters  from  some 
great  river  on  the  shore,  must  be  the  occasion  of 
this  current ;  and  that  according  as  the  wind  blew 
more  forcibly  from  the  west,  or  from  the  north,  this 
current  came  near,  or  went  farther  from  the  shore  ; 
for  waiting  thereabouts  till  evening,  I  went  up  to 
the  rock  again,  and  then  the  tide  of  ebb  being  made, 
I  plainly  saw  the  current  again  as  before,  only  that 
it  run  farther  off,  being  near  half  a  league  from  the 
shore  ;  whereas  in  my  case  it  set  close  upon  the  shore, 
and  hurried  me  and  my  canoe  along  with  it,  which, 
at  another  time,  it  would  not  have  done. 

This  observation  convinced  me  that  I  had  nothing 
to  do  but  to  observe  the  ebbing  and  the  flowing  of 
the  tide,  and  I  might  very  easily  bring  my  boat 
about  the  island  again.  But  when  I  began  to  think 
of  putting  it  in  practice,  I  had  such  a  terror  upon 
my  spirits  at  the  remembrance  of  the  danger  I  had 
been  in,  that  I  could  not  think  of  it  again  with  any 
patience  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  I  took  up  another 
resolution,  which  was  more  safe,  though  more  labo- 
rious ;  and  this  was,  that  I  would  build,  or  rather 
make  me  another  periagua  or  canoe  ;  and  so  have  one 
for  one  side  of  the  island,  and  one  for  the  other. 

You  are  to  understand  that  now  I  had,  as  I  may 

[169] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

call  it,  two  plantations  in  the  island ;  one,  my  little 
fortification  or  tent,  with  the  wall  about  it,  under 
the  rock,  with  the  cave  behind  me,  which,  by  this 
time,  I  had  enlarged  into  several  apartments  or 
caves,  one  within  another.  One  of  these,  which 
was  the  driest  and  largest,  and  had  a  door  out  be- 
yond my  wall  or  fortification,  that  is  to  say,  beyond 
where  my  wall  joined  to  the  rock,  was  all  filled  up 
with  the  large  earthen  pots,  of  which  I  have  given  an 
account,  and  with  fourteen  or  fifteen  great  baskets, 
which  would  hold  five  or  six  bushels  each,  where  I 
laid  up  my  stores  of  provision,  especially  my  corn, 
some  in  the  ear,  cut  off  short  from  the  straw,  and 
the  other  rubbed  out  with  my  hand. 

As  for  my  wall,  made,  as  before,  with  long  stakes 
or  piles,  those  piles  grew  all  like  trees,  and  were  by 
this  time  grown  so  big,  and  spread  so  very  much, 
that  there  was  not  the  least  appearance,  to  any  one's 
view,  of  any  habitation  behind  them. 

Near  this  dwelling  of  mine,  but  a  little  farther 
within  the  land,  and  upon  lower  ground,  lay  my  two 
pieces  of  corn  ground,  which  I  kept  duly  cultivated 
and  sowed,  and  which  duly  yielded  me  their  harvest 
in  its  season  ;  and  whenever  I  had  occasion  for  more 
corn,  I  had  more  land  adjoining  as  fit  as  that. 

Besides  this,  I  had  my  country  seat,  and  I  had 
now  a  tolerable  plantation  there  also ;  for,  first,  I 
had  my  little  bower,  as  I  called  it,  which  I  kept  in 
repair ;  that  is  to  say,  I  kept  the  hedge  which  circled 
it  in  constantly  fitted  up  to  its  usual  height,  the 
ladder  standing  always  in  the  inside.  I  kept  the 
trees,  which  at  first  were  no  more  than  my  stakes, 
but  were  now  grown  very  firm  and  tall,  I  kept  them 
always  so  cut,  that  they  might  spread  and  grow 
thick  and  wild,  and  make  the  more  agreeable  shade, 
which  they  did  effectually  to  my  mind.  In  the 
middle  of  this,  I  had  mv  tent  always  standing,  being 

[  no  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

a  piece  of  a  sail  spread  over  poles,  set  up  for  that 
purpose,  and  which  never  wanted  any  repair  or 
renewing  ;  and  under  this  I  had  made  me  a  squab  or 
couch,  with  the  skins  of  the  creatures  I  had  killed, 
and  with  other  soft  things,  and  a  blanket  laid  on 
them,  such  as  belonged  to  our  sea-bedding,  which 
I  had  saved,  and  a  great  watch-cOat  to  cover  me ; 
and  here,  whenever  I  had  occasion  to  be  absent  from 
my  chief  seat,  I  took  up  my  country  habitation. 

Adjoining  to  this  I  had  my  enclosures  for  my  cat- 
tle, that  is  to  say,  my  goats.  And  as  I  had  taken  an 
inconceivable  deal  of  pains  to  fence  and  enclose  this 
ground,  so  I  was  so  uneasy  to  see  it  kept  entire,  lest 
the  goats  should  break  through,  that  I  never  left  off 
till,  with  infinite  labour,  I  had  stuck  the  outside  of 
the  hedge  so  full  of  small  stakes,  and  so  near  to  one 
another,  that  it  was  rather  a  pale  than  a  hedge,  and 
there  was  scarce  room  to  put  a  hand  through  between 
them  ;  which  afterwards,  when  those  stakes  grew,  as 
they  all  did  in  the  next  rainy  season,  made  the  en- 
closure strong  like  a  wall,  indeed,  stronger  than  any 
wall. 

This  will  testify  for  me  that  I  was  not  idle,  and 
that  I  spared  no  pains  to  bring  to  pass  whatever 
appeared  necessary  for  my  comfortable  support ;  for 
I  considered  the  keeping  up  a  breed  of  tame  crea- 
tures thus  at  my  hand  would  be  a  living  magazine  of 
flesh,  milk,  butter,  and  cheese  for  me  as  long  as  I 
lived  in  the  place,  if  it  were  to  be  forty  years ;  and 
that  keeping  them  in  my  reach  depended  entirely 
upon  my  perfecting  my  enclosures  to  such  a  degree, 
that  I  might  be  sure  of  keeping  them  together ; 
which,  by  this  method,  indeed,  I  so  effectually  se- 
cured, that  when  these  little  stakes  began  to  grow,  I 
had  planted  them  so  very  thick,  I  was  forced  to  pull 
some  of  them  up  again. 

In  this  place  also  I  had  my  grapes  growing,  which 

[171] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

I  principally  depended  on  for  my  winter  store  of 
raisins,  and  which  I  never  failed  to  preserve  very 
carefully,  as  the  best  and  most  agreeable  dainty  of 
my  whole  diet.  And  indeed  they  were  not  agreeable 
only,  but  physical,  wholesome,  nourishing,  and  refresh- 
ing to  the  last  degree. 

As  this  was  also  about  half-way  between  my  other 
habitation  and  the  place  where  I  had  laid  up  my 
boat,  I  generally  stayed  and  lay  here  in  my  way 
thither ;  for  I  used  frequently  to  visit  my  boat,  and 
I  kept  all  things  about,  or  belonging  to  her,  in  very 
good  order.  Sometimes  I  went  out  in  her  to  divert 
myself,  but  no  more  hazardous  voyages  would  I  go, 
nor  scarce  ever  above  a  stone's  cast  or  two  from  the 
shore,  I  was  so  apprehensive  of  being  hurried  out  of 
my  knowledge  again  by  the  currents  or  winds,  or  any 
other  accident.  But  now  I  come  to  a  new  scene  of 
my  life. 

It  happened  one  day,  about  noon,  going  towards 
my  boat,  I  was  exceedingly  surprised  with  the  print 
of  a  man's  naked  foot  on  the  shore,  which  was  very 
plain  to  be  seen  in  the  sand.  I  stood  like  one  thun- 
derstruck, or  as  if  I  had  seen  an  apparition.  I  lis- 
tened, I  looked  round  me,  I  could  hear  nothing,  nor 
see  anything.  I  went  up  to  a  rising  ground,  to  look 
farther.  I  went  up  the  shore,  and  down  the  shore, 
but  it  was  all  one ;  I  could  see  no  other  impression 
but  that  one.  I  went  to  it  again  to  see  if  there 
were  any  more,  and  to  observe  if  it  might  not  be  my 
fancy  ;  but  there  was  no  room  for  that,  for  there  was 
exactly  the  very  print  of  a  foot  —  toes,  heel,  and 
every  part  of  a  foot.  How  it  came  thither  I  knew 
not,  nor  could  in  the  least  imagine.  But  after  in- 
numerable fluttering  thoughts,  like  a  man  perfectly 
confused  and  out  of  myself,  I  came  home  to  my  for- 
tification, not  feeling,  as  we  say,  the  ground  I  went 
on,  but  terrified  to  the  last  degree,  looking  behind 

[172] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

me  at  every  two  or  three  steps,  mistaking  every  bush 
and  tree,  and  fancying  every  stump  at  a  distance  to 
be  a  man  ;  nor  is  it  possible  to  describe  how  many 
various  shapes  affrighted  imagination  represented 
things  to  me  in,  how  many  wild  ideas  were  found 
every  moment  in  my  fancy,  and  what  strange  unac- 
countable whimsies  came  into  my  thoughts  by  the 
way. 

When  I  came  to  my  castle,  for  so  I  think  I  called 
it  ever  after  this,  I  fled  into  it  like  one  pursued. 
Whether  I  went  over  by  the  ladder,  as  first  contrived, 
or  went  in  at  the  hole  in  the  rock,  which  I  called  a 
door,  I  cannot  remember ;  no,  nor  could  I  remember 
the  next  morning,  for  never  frighted  hare  fled  to 
cover,  or  fox  to  earth,  with  more  terror  of  mind  than 
I  to  this  retreat.  « 

I  slept  none  that  night.  The  farther  I  was  from 
the  occasion  of  my  fright,  the  greater  my  apprehen- 
sions were  ;  which  is  something  contrary  to  the  nature 
of  such  things,  and  especially  to  the  usual  practice  of 
all  creatures  in  fear.  But  I  was  so  embarrassed  with 
my  own  frightful  ideas  of  the  thing,  that  I  formed 
nothing  but  dismal  imaginations  to  myself,  even 
though  I  was  now  a  great  way  off  it.  Sometimes  I 
fancied  it  must  be  the  devil,  and  reason  joined  in 
with  me  upon  this  supposition  ;  for  how  should  any 
other  thing  in  human  shape  come  into  this  place  ? 
Where  was  the  vessel  that  brought  them  ?  What 
marks  was  there  of  any  other  footsteps  ?  And  how 
was  it  possible  a  man  should  come  there  ?  But  then 
to  think  that  Satan  should  take  human  shape  upon 
him  in  such  a  place,  where  there  could  be  no  manner 
of  occasion  for  it,  but  to  leave  the  print  of  his  foot 
behind  him,  and  that  even  for  no  purpose  too,  for 
he  could  not  be  sure  I  should  see  it  ;  this  was 
an  amusement  the  other  way.  I  considered  that  the 
devil  might  have  found  out  abundance  of  other  ways 

[173] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  have  terrified  me  than  this  of  a  single  print  of  a 
foot  ;  that  as  I  lived  quite  on  the  other  side  of  the 
island,  he  would  never  have  been  so  simple  to  leave 
a  mark  in  a  place  where  it  was  ten  thousand  to  one 
whether  I  should  ever  see  it  or  not,  and  in  the  sand 
too,  which  the  first  surge  of  the  sea,  upon  a  high 
wind,  would  have  defaced  entirely.  All  this  seemed 
inconsistent  with  the  thing  itself,  and  with  all  the 
notions  we  usually  entertain  of  the  subtilty  of  the 
devil. 

Abundance  of  such  things  as  these  assisted  to  argue 
me  out  of  all  apprehensions  of  its  being  the  devil  ; 
and  I  presently  concluded  then,  that  it  must  be  some 
more  dangerous  creature,  viz.,  that  it  must  be  some 
of  the  savages  of  the  mainland  over  against  me,  who 
had  wandered  out  to  sea»in  their  canoes,  and,  either 
driven  by  the  currents  or  by  contrary  winds,  had 
made  the  island,  and  had  been  on  shore,  but  were 
gone  away  again  to  sea,  being  as  loth,  perhaps,  to 
have  stayed  in  this  desolate  island  as  I  would  have 
been  to  have  had  them. 

While  these  reflections  were  rolling  upon  my  mind, 
I  was  very  thankful  in  my  thoughts  that  I  was  so 
happy  as  not  to  be  thereabouts  at  that  time,  or  that 
they  did  not  see  my  boat,  by  which  they  would  have 
concluded  that  some  inhabitants  had  been  in  the 
place,  and  perhaps  have  searched  farther  for  me. 
Then  terrible  thoughts  racked  my  imagination  about 
their  having  found  my  boat,  and  that  there  were 
people  here  ;  and  that  if  so,  I  should  certainly  have 
them  come  again  in  greater  numbers,  and  devour 
me  ;  that  if  it  should  happen  so  that  they  should  not 
find  me,  yet  they  would  find  my  enclosure,  destroy 
all  my  corn,  carry  away  all  my  flock  of  tame  goats, 
and  I  should  perish  at  last  for  mere  want. 

Thus  my  fear  banished  all  my  religious  hope.  All 
that  former  confidence  in  God,  which  was  founded 

[174] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

upon  such  wonderful  experience  as  I  had  had  of  His 
goodness,  now  vanished,  as  if  He  that  had  fed  me  by 
miracle  hitherto  could  not  preserve,  by  His  power, 
the  provision  which  He  had  made  for  me  by  His 
goodness.  I  reproached  myself  with  my  easiness, 
that  would  not  sow  any  more  corn  one  year  than 
would  just  serve  me  till  the  next  season,  as  if  no 
accident  could  intervene  to  prevent  my  enjoying  the 
crop  that  was  upon  the  ground.  And  this  I  thought 
so  just  a  reproof,  that  I  resolved  for  the  future  to 
have  two  or  three  years'  corn  beforehand,  so  that, 
whatever  might  come,  I  might  not  perish  for  want  of 
bread. 

How  strange  a  chequer-work  of  Providence  is  the 
life  of  man  !  and  by  what  secret  differing  springs  are 
the  affections  hurried  about  as  differing  circum- 
stances present !  To-day  we  love  what  to-morrow 
we  hate ;  to-day  we  seek  what  to-morrow  we  shun  ; 
to-day  we  desire  what  to-morrow  we  fear  ;  nay,  even 
tremble  at  the  apprehensions  of.  This  was  exem- 
plified in  me,  at  this  time,  in  the  most  lively  manner 
imaginable  ;  for  I,  whose  only  affliction  was  that  I 
seemed  banished  from  human  society,  that  I  was 
alone,  circumscribed  by  the  boundless  ocean,  cut  off 
from  mankind,  and  condemned  to  what  I  called 
silent  life  ;  that  I  was  as  one  whom  Heaven  thought 
not  worthy  to  be  numbered  among  the  living,  or 
to  appear  among  the  rest  of  His  creatures ;  that  to 
have  seen  one  of  my  own  species  would  have  seemed 
to  me  a  raising  me  from  death  to  life,  and  the 
greatest  blessing  that  Heaven  itself,  next  to  the 
supreme  blessing  of  salvation,  could  bestow  ;  I  say, 
that  I  should  now  tremble  at  the  very  apprehensions 
of  seeing  >a  man,  and  was  ready  to  sink  into  the 
ground  at  but  the  shadow  or  silent  appearance  of  a 
man's  having  set  his  foot  in  the  island  ! 

Such  is  the  uneven  state  of  human  life  ;  and  it 

[175] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

afforded  me  a  great  many  curious  speculations  after- 
wards, when  I  had  a  little  recovered  my  first  sur- 
prise. I  considered  that  this  was  the  station  of  life 
the  infinitely  wise  and  good  providence  of  God  had 
determined  for  me ;  that,  as  I  could  not  foresee 
what  the  ends  of  Divine  wisdom  might  be  in  all 
this,  so  I  was  not  to  dispute  His  sovereignty,  who, 
as  I  was  His  creature,  had  an  undoubted  right,  by 
creation,  to  govern  and  dispose  of  me  absolutely  as 
He  thought  fit,  and  who,  as  I  was  a  creature  who 
had  offended  Him,  had  likewise  a  judicial  right  to 
condemn  me  to  what  punishment  He  thought  fit ; 
and  that  it  was  my  part  to  submit  to  bear  His  in- 
dignation, because  I  had  sinned  against  Him. 

I  then  reflected  that  God,  who  was  not  only 
righteous,  but  omnipotent,  as  He  had  thought  fit 
thus  to  punish  and  afflict  me,  so  He  was  able  to 
deliver  me ;  that  if  He  did  not  think  fit  to  do  it, 
't  was  my  unquestioned  duty  to  resign  myself  abso- 
lutely and  entirely  to  His  will ;  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  it  was  my  duty  also  to  hope  in  Him,  pray  to 
Him,  and  quietly  to  attend  the  dictates  and  direc- 
tions of  His  daily  providence. 

These  thoughts  took  me  up  many  hours,  days, 
nay,  I  may  say,  weeks  and  months ;  and  one  par- 
ticular effect  of  my  cogitations  on  this  occasion  I 
cannot  omit,  viz.,  one  morning  early,  lying  in  my 
bed,  and  filled  with  thought  about  my  danger  from 
the  appearance  of  savages,  I  found  it  discomposed 
me  very  much ;  upon  which  those  words  of  the 
Scripture  came  into  my  thoughts,  "  Call  upon  Me 
in  the  day  of  trouble,  and  I  will  deliver,  and  thou 
shalt  glorify  Me." 

Upon  this,  rising  cheerfully  out  of  my  bed, 
my  heart  was  not  only  comforted,  but  I  was 
guided  and  encouraged  to  pray  earnestly  to  God 
for  deliverance.     When  I  had  done  praying,  I  took 

[176] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

up  my  Bible,  and  opening  it  to  read,  the  first  words 
that  presented  to  me  were,  "  Wait  on  the  Lord,  and 
be  of  good  cheer,  and  He  shall  strengthen  thy  heart ; 
wait,  I  say,  on  the  Lord."1  It  is  impossible  to  ex- 
press the  comfort  this  gave  me.  In  answer,  I 
thankfully  laid  down  the  book,  and  was  no  more 
sad,  at  least,  not  on  that  occasion. 

In  the  middle  of  these  cogitations,  apprehensions, 
and  reflections,  it  came  into  my  thought  one  day, 
that  all  this  might  be  a  mere  chimera  of  my  own  ; 
and  that  this  foot  might  be  the  print  of  my  own 
foot,  when  I  came  on  shore  from  my  boat.  This 
cheered  me  up  a  little  too,  and  I  began  to  persuade 
myself  it  was  all  a  delusion,  that  it  was  nothing  else 
but  my  own  foot ;  and  why  might  not  I  come  that 
way  from  the  boat,  as  well  as  I  was  going  that  way 
to  the  boat  ?  Again,  I  considered  also,  that  I  could 
by  no  means  tell,  for  certain,  where  I  had  trod,  and 
where  I  had  not ;  and  that  if,  at  last,  this  was  only 
the  print  of  my  own  foot,  I  had  played  the  part  of 
those  fools  who  strive  to  make  stories  of  spectres  and 
apparitions,  and  then  are  frighted  at  them  more  than 
anybody. 

Now  I  began  to  take  courage,  and  to  peep  abroad 
again,  for  I  had  not  stirred  out  of  my  castle  for 
three  days  and  nights,  so  that  I  began  to  starve  for 
provision  ;  for  I  had  little  or  nothing  within  doors 
but  some  barley-cakes  and  water.  Then  I  knew  that 
my  goats  wanted  to  be  milked  too,  which  usually 
was  my  evening  diversion  ;  and  the  poor  creatures 
were  in  great  pain  and  inconvenience  for  want  of  it  ; 
and,  indeed,  it  almost  spoiled  some  of  them,  and  al- 
most dried  up  their  milk. 

Heartening  myself,  therefore,  with  the  belief  that 

this  was  nothing  but   the  print  of  one  of  my  own 

feet,  and  so  I  might  be  truly  said  to  start  at  my  own 

shadow,  I  began  to    go  abroad  again,  and  went  to 

VOL.  i. —12  [  177  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

my  country  house  to  milk  my  flock.  But  to  see 
with  what  fear  I  went  forward,  how  often  I  looked 
behind  me,  how  I  was  ready,  every  now  and  then,  to 
lay  down  my  basket,  and  run  for  my  life,  it  would 
have  made  any  one  have  thought  I  was  haunted  with 
an  evil  conscience,  or  that  I  had  been  lately  most 
terribly  frighted  ;    and  so,  indeed,   I  had. 

However,  as  I  went  down  thus  two  or  three  days, 
and  having  seen  nothing,  I  began  to  be  a  little 
bolder,  and  to  think  there  was  really  nothing  in  it 
but  my  own  imagination.  But  I  could  not  persuade 
myself  fully  of  this  till  I  should  go  down  to  the  shore 
again,  and  see  this  print  of  a  foot,  and  measure  it  by 
my  own,  and  see  if  there  was  any  similitude  or  fit- 
ness, that  I  might  be  assured  it  was  my  own  foot. 
But  when  I  came  to  the  place,  first,  it  appeared  evi- 
dently to  me,  that  when  I  laid  up  my  boat,  I  could 
not  possibly  be  on  shore  anywhere  thereabouts  ;  sec- 
ondly, when  I  came  to  measure  the  mark  with  my 
own  foot,  I  found  my  foot  not  so  large  by  a  great 
deal.  Both  these  things  filled  my  head  with  new 
imaginations,  and  gave  me  the  vapours  again  to  the 
highest  degree  ;  so  that  I  shook  with  cold,  like  one 
in  an  ague  ;  and  I  went  home  again,  filled  with  the 
belief  that  some  man  or  men  had  been  on  shore 
there  ;  or,  in  short,  that  the  island  was  inhabited, 
and  I  might  be  surprised  before  I  was  aware.  And 
what  course  to  take  for  my  security,  I  knew  not. 

Oh,  what  ridiculous  resolution  men  take  when 
possessed  with  fear  !  It  deprives  them  of  the  use  of 
those  means  which  reason  offers  for  their  relief.  The 
first  thing  I  proposed  to  myself  was  to  throw  down 
my  enclosures,  and  turn  all  my  tame  cattle  wild  into 
the  woods,  that  the  enemy  might  not  find  them,  and 
then  frequent  the  island  in  prospect  of  the  same  or 
the  like  booty  ;  then  to  the  simple  thing  of  digging 
up  my  two  corn-fields,  that  they  might  not  find  such 

[  178  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

a  grain  there,  and  still  be  prompted  to  frequent  the 
island ;  then  to  demolish  my  bower  and  tent,  that 
they  might  not  see  any  vestiges  of  habitation,  and  be 
prompted  to  look  farther,  in  order  to  find  out  the 
persons  inhabiting. 

These  were  the  subject  of  the  first-  night's  cogita- 
tion, after  I  was  come  home  again,  while  the  appre- 
hensions which  had  so  overrun  my  mind  were  fresh 
upon  me,  and  my  head  was  full  of  vapours,  as  above. 
Thus  fear  of  danger  is  ten  thousand  times  more 
terrifying  than  danger  itself  when  apparent  to  the 
eyes  ;  and  we  find  the  burthen  of  anxiety  greater,  by 
much,  than  the  evil  which  we  are  anxious  about ; 
and,  which  was  worse  than  all  this,  I  had  not  that 
relief  in  this  trouble  from  the  resignation  I  used  to 
practise,  that  I  hoped  to  have.  I  looked,  I  thought, 
like  Saul,  who  complained  not  only  that  the  Philis- 
tines were  upon  him,  but  that  God  had  forsaken 
him  ;  for  I  did  not  now  take  due  ways  to  compose 
my  mind,  by  crying  to  God  in  my  distress,  and  rest- 
ing upon  His  providence,  as  I  had  done  before, 
for  my  defence  and  deliverance*;  which,  if  I  had 
done,  I  had  at  least  been  more  cheerfully  supported 
under  this  new  surprise,  and  perhaps  carried  through 
it  with  more  resolution. 

This  confusion  of  my  thoughts  kept  me  waking 
all  night,  but  in  the  morning  I  fell  asleep  ;  and  hav- 
ing, by  the  amusement  of  my  mind,  been,  as  it  were, 
tired,  and  my  spirits  exhausted,  I  slept  very  soundly, 
and  waked  much  better  composed  than  I  had  ever 
been  before.  And  now  I  began  to  think  sedately  ; 
and  upon  the  utmost  debate  with  myself,  I  concluded 
that  this  island,  which  was  so  exceeding  pleasant, 
fruitful,  and  no  farther  from  the  mainland  than  as 
I  had  seen,  was  not  so  entirely  abandoned  as  I  might 
imagine ;  that  although  there  were  no  stated  inhabi- 
tants who  lived  on  the  spot,  vet  that  there  might 

[  179  1 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

sometimes  come  boats  off  from  the  shore,  who,  either 
with  design,  or  perhaps  never  but  when  they  were 
driven  by  cross  winds,  might  come  to  this  place;  that 
I  had  lived  here  fifteen  years  now,  and  had  not  met 
with  the  least  shadow  or  figure  of  any  people  yet ; 
and  that  if  at  any  time  they  should  be  driven  here, 
it  was  probable  they  went  away  again  as  soon  as 
ever  they  could,  seeing  they  had  never  thought  fit  to 
fix  there  upon  any  occasion  to  this  time  ;  that  the 
most  I  could  suggest  any  danger  from,  was  from  any 
such  casual  accidental  landing  of  straggling  people 
from  the  main,  who,  as  it  was  likely,  if  they  were 
driven  hither,  were  here  against  their  wills ;  so  they 
made  no  stay  here,  but  went  off  again  with  all  pos- 
sible speed,  seldom  staying  one  night  on  shore,  lest 
they  should  not  have  the  help  of  the  tides  and  day- 
light back  again  ;  and  that,  therefore,  I  had  nothing 
to  do  but  to  consider  of  some  safe  retreat,  in  case  I 
should  see  any  savages  land  upon  the  spot. 

Now  I  began  sorely  to  repent  that  I  had  dug  my 
cave  so  large  as  to  bring  a  door  through  again, 
which  door,  as  I  said,  came  out  beyond  where  my 
fortification  joined  to  the  rock.  Upon  maturely 
considering  this,  therefore,  I  resolved  to  draw  me  a 
second  fortification,  in  the  same  manner  of  a  semi- 
circle, at  a  distance  from  my  wall,  just  where  I  had 
planted  a  double  row  of  trees  about  twelve  years 
before,  of  which  I  made  mention.  These  trees  hav- 
ing been  planted  so  thick  before,  they  wanted  but 
a  few  piles  to  be  driven  between  them,  that  they 
should  be  thicker  and  stronger,  and  my  wall  would 
be  soon  finished. 

So  that  I  had  now  a  double  wall ;  and  my  outer 
wall  was  thickened  with  pieces  of  timber,  old  cables, 
and  everything  I  could  think  of,  to  make  it  strong, 
having  in  it  seven  little  holes,  about  as  big  as  I 
might  put  my  arm  out  at.     In  the  inside  of  this  I 

[180] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

thickened  my  wall  to  above  ten  feet  thick,  with  con- 
tinual bringing  earth  out  of  my  cave,  and  laying  it 
at  the  foot  of  the  wall,  and  walking  upon  it ;  and 
through  the  seven  holes  I  contrived  to  plant  the 
muskets,  of  which  I  took  notice  that  I  got  seven  on 
shore  out  of  the  ship.  These,  I  say,  I  planted  like 
my  cannon,  and  fitted  them  into  frames,  that  held 
them  like  a  carriage,  that  so  I  could  fire  all  the 
seven  guns  in  two  minutes''  time.  This  wall  I  was 
many  a  weary  month  a-finishing,  and  yet  never 
thought  myself  safe  till  it  was  done. 

When  this  was  done,  I  stuck  all  the  ground  with- 
out my  wall,  for  a  great  way  every  way,  as  full  with 
stakes,  or  sticks,  of  the  osier-like  wood,  which  I  found 
so  apt  to  grow,  as  they  could  well  stand  ;  insomuch, 
that  I  believe  I  might  set  in  near  twenty  thousand 
of  them,  leaving  a  pretty  large  space  between  them 
and  my  wall,  that  I  might  have  room  to  see  an  enemy, 
and  they  might  have  no  shelter  from  the  young  trees, 
if  they  attempted  to  approach  my  outer  wall. 

Thus  in  two  years'  time  I  had  a  thick  grove  ;  and 
in  five  or  six  years'  time  I  had  a  wood  before  my 
dwelling,  growing  so  monstrous  thick  and  strong,  that 
it  was  indeed  perfectly  impassable ;  and  no  men,  of 
what  kind  soever,  would  ever  imagine  that  there  was 
anything  beyond  it,  much  less  a  habitation.  As  for 
the  way  which  I  proposed  to  myself  to  go  in  and  out, 
for  I  left  no  avenue,  it  was  by  setting  two  ladders, 
one  to  a  part  of  the  rock  which  was  low,  and  then 
broke  in,  and  left  room  to  place  another  ladder  upon 
that ;  so  when  the  two  ladders  were  taken  down,  no 
man  living  could  come  down  to  me  without  mis- 
chieving  himself;  and  if  they  had  come  down,  they 
were  still  on  the  outside  of  my  outer  wall. 

Thus  I  took  all  the  measures  human  prudence  could 
suggest  for  my  own  preservation  ;  and  it  will  be  seen, 
at  length,  that  they  were  not  altogether  without  just 

[181  J 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

reason  ;  though  I  foresaw  nothing  at  that  time  more 
than  my  mere  fear  suggested  to  me. 

While  this  was  doing,  I  was  not  altogether  careless 
of  my  other  affairs  ;  for  I  had  a  great  concern  upon 
me  for  my  little  herd  of  goats.  They  were  not  only 
a  present  supply  to  me  upon  every  occasion,  and  be- 
gan to  be  sufficient  to  me,  without  the  expense  of 
powder  and  shot,  but  also  without  the  fatigue  of 
hunting  after  the  wild  ones  ;  and  I  was  loth  to  lose 
the  advantage  of  them,  and  to  have  them  all  to  nurse 
up  over  again. 

To  this  purpose,  after  long  consideration,  I  could 
think  of  but  two  ways  to  preserve  them.  One  was, 
to  find  another  convenient  place  to  dig  a  cave  under 
ground,  and  to  drive  them  into  it  every  night ;  and  the 
other  was,  to  enclose  two  or  three  little  bits  of  land, 
remote  from  one  another,  and  as  much  concealed  as 
I  could,  where  I  might  keep  about  half-a-dozen  young 
goats  in  each  place ;  so  that  if  any  disaster  happened 
to  the  flock  in  general,  I  might  be  able  to  raise  them 
again  with  little  trouble  and  time.  And  this,  though 
it  would  require  a  great  deal  of  time  and  labour,  I 
thought  was  the  most  rational  design. 

Accordingly  I  spent  some  time  to  find  out  the  most 
retired  parts  of  the  island  ;  and  I  pitched  upon  one 
which  was  as  private  indeed  as  my  heart  could  wish 
for.  It  was  a  little  damp  piece  of  ground,  in  the 
middle  of  the  hollow  and  thick  woods,  where,  as  is 
observed,  I  almost  lost  myself  once  before,  endeav- 
ouring to  come  back  that  way  from  the  eastern 
part  of  the  island.  Here  I  found  a  clear  piece  of 
land,  near  three  acres,  so  surrounded  with  woods, 
that  it  was  almost  an  enclosure  by  Nature ;  at  least, 
it  did  not  want  near  so  much  labour  to  make  it 
so  as  the  other  pieces  of  ground  I  had  worked  so 
hard  at. 

I  immediately  went   to  work  with  this  piece   of 

[  182] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

ground,  and  in  less  than  a  months  time  I  had  so 
fenced  it  round,  that  my  flock,  or  herd,  call  it  which 
you  please,  who  were  not  so  wild  now  as  at  first  they 
might  be  supposed  to  be,  were  well  enough  secured 
in  it.  So,  without  any  farther  delay,  I  removed  ten 
young  she-goats  and  two  he-goats  to  this  piece. 
And  when  they  were  there,  I  continued  to  perfect 
the  fence,  till  I  had  made  it  as  secure  as  the  other, 
which,  however,  I  did  at  more  leisure,  and  it  took 
me  up  more  time  by  a  great  deal. 

All  this  labour  I  was  at  the  expense  of,  purely 
from  my  apprehensions  on  the  account  of  the  print 
of  a  man's  foot  which  I  had  seen  ;  for,  as  yet,  I  never 
saw  any  human  creature  come  near  the  island.  And 
I  had  now  lived  two  years  under  these  uneasinesses, 
which,  indeed,  made  my  life  much  less  comfortable 
than  it  was  before,  as  may  well  be  imagined  by  any 
who  know  what  it  is  to  live  in  the  constant  snare 
of  the  fear  of  man.  And  this  I  must  observe,  with 
grief  too,  that  the  discomposure  of  my  mind  had  too 
great  impressions  also  upon  the  religious  part  of  my 
thoughts  ;  for  the  dread  and  terror  of  falling  into 
the  hands  of  savages  and  cannibals  lay  so  upon  my 
spirits,  that  I  seldom  found  myself  in  a  due  temper 
for  application  to  my  Maker,  at  least  not  with  the 
sedate  calmness  and  resignation  of  soul  which  I  was 
wont  to  do.  I  rather  prayed  to  God  as  under  great 
affliction  and  pressure  of  mind,  surrounded  with 
danger,  and  in  expectation  every  night  of  being 
murdered  and  devoured  before  morning ;  and  I  must 
testify  from  my  experience,  that  a  temper  of  peace, 
thankfulness,  love,  and  affection,  is  much  more  the 
proper  frame  for  prayer  than  that  of  terror  and  dis- 
composure ;  and  that  under  the  dread  of  mischief 
impending,  a  man  is  no  more  fit  for  a  comforting 
performance  of  the  duty  of  praying  to  God,  than  he 
is  for  repentance  on  a  sick-bed.     For  these  discom- 

[  183] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

posures  affect  the  mind,  as  the  others  do  the  body  ; 
and  the  discomposure  of  the  mind  must  necessarily 
be  as  great  a  disability  as  that  of  the  body,  and 
much  greater,  praying  to  God  being  properly  an  act 
of  the  mind,  not  of  the  body. 

But  to  go  on.  After  I  had  thus  secured  one  part 
of  my  little  living  stock,  I  went  about  the  whole 
island,  searching  for  another  private  place  to  make 
such  another  deposit ;  when,  wandering  more  to  the 
west  point  of  the  island  than  I  had  ever  done  yet, 
and  looking  out  to  sea,  I  thought  I  saw  a  boat  upon 
the  sea,  at  a  great  distance.  I  had  found  a  prospec- 
tive glass  or  two  in  one  of  the  seamen's  chests,  which 
I  saved  out  of  our  ship,  but  I  had  it  not  about  me ; 
and  this  was  so  remote,  that  I  could  not  tell  what  to 
make  of  it,  though  I  looked  at  it  till  my  eyes  were 
not  able  to  hold  to  look  any  longer.  Whether  it  was 
a  boat  or  not,  I  do  not  know  ;  but  as  I  descended  from 
the  hill,  I  could  see  no  more  of  it,  so  I  gave  it  over ; 
only  I  resolved  to  go  no  more  out  without  a  prospec- 
tive glass  in  my  pocket. 

When  I  was  come  down  the  hill  to  the  end  of  the 
island,  where,  indeed,  I  had  never  been  before,  I  was 
presently  convinced  that  the  seeing  the  print  of  a 
man's  foot  was  not  such  a  strange  thing  in  the  island 
as  I  imagined.  And,  but  that  it  was  a  special  provi- 
dence that  I  was  cast  upon  the  side  of  the  island 
where  the  savages  never  came,  I  should  easily  have 
known  that  nothing  was  more  frequent  than  for  the 
canoes  from  the  main,  when  they  happened  to  be  a 
little  too  far  out  at  sea,  to  shoot  over  to  that  side  of 
the  island  for  harbour  ;  likewise,  as  they  often  met 
and  fought  in  their  canoes,  the  victors  having  taken 
any  prisoners  would  bring  them  over  to  this  shore, 
where,  according  to  their  dreadful  customs,  being  all 
cannibals,  they  would  kill  and  eat  them  ;  of  which 
hereafter. 

[184] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

When  I  was  come  down  the  hill  to  the  shore,  as  I 
said  above,  being  the  S.W.  point  of  the  island,  I  was 
perfectly  confounded  and  amazed  ;  nor  is  it  possible 
for  me  to  express  the  horror  of  my  mind  at  seeing 
the  shore  spread  with  skulls,  hands,  feet,  and  other 
bones  of  human  bodies  ;  and  particularly,  I  observed 
a  place  where  there  had  been  a  fire  made,  and  a  circle 
dug  in  the  earth,  like  a  cockpit,  where  it  is  supposed 
the  savage  wretches  had  sat  down  to  their  inhuman 
feastings  upon  the  bodies  of  their  fellow-creatures. 

I  was  so  astonished  with  the  sight  of  these  things, 
that  I  entertained  no  notion  of  any  danger  to  my- 
self from  it  for  a  long  while.  All  my  apprehensions 
were  buried  in  the  thoughts  of  such  a  pitch  of  in- 
human, hellish  brutality,  and  the  horror  of  the 
degeneracy  of  human  nature,  which,  though  I  had 
heard  of  often,  yet  I  never  had  so  near  a  view  of 
before.  In  short,  I  turned  away  my  face  from  the 
horrid  spectacle.  My  stomach  grew  sick,  and  I  was 
just  at  the  point  of  fainting,  when  Nature  discharged 
the  disorder  from  my  stomach.  And  having  vomited 
with  an  uncommon  violence,  I  was  a  little  relieved, 
but  could  not  bear  to  stay  in  the  place  a  moment ; 
so  I  got  me  up  the  hill  again  with  all  the  speed  I 
could,  and  walked  on  towards  my  own  habitation. 

When  I  came  a  little  out  of  that  part  of  the 
island,  I  stood  still  a  while,  as  amazed  ;  and  then 
recovering  myself,  I  looked  up  with  the  utmost 
affection  of  my  soul,  and  with  a  flood  of  tears  in  my 
eyes,  gave  God  thanks,  that  had  cast  my  first  lot  in 
a  part  of  the  world  where  I  was  distinguished  from 
such  dreadful  creatures  as  these ;  and  that,  though 
I  had  esteemed  my  present  condition  very  miserable, 
had  yet  given  me  so  many  comforts  in  it,  that  I  had 
still  more  to  give  thanks  for  than  to  complain  of; 
and  this  above  all,  that  I  had,  even  in  this  miserable 
condition,  been    comforted  with    the   knowledge    of 

[185] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

Himself,  and  the  hope  of  His  blessing  ;  which  was 
a  felicity  more  than  sufficiently  equivalent  to  all 
the  misery  which  I  had  suffered,  or  could  suffer. 

In  this  frame  of  thankfulness  I  went  home  to  my 
castle,  and  began  to  be  much  easier  now,  as  to  the 
safety  of  my  circumstances,  than  ever  I  was  before  ; 
for  I  observed  that  these  wretches  never  came  to 
this  island  in  search  of  what  they  could  get ;  per- 
haps not  seeking,  not  wanting,  or  not  expecting, 
anything  here ;  and  having  often,  no  doubt,  been 
up  in  the  covered,  woody  part  of  it,  without  finding 
anything  to  their  purpose.  I  knew  I  had  been  here 
now  almost  eighteen  years,  and  never  saw  the  least 
footsteps  of  human  creature  there  before ;  and  I 
might  be  here  eighteen  more  as  entirely  concealed 
as  I  was  now,  if  I  did  not  discover  myself  to  them, 
which  I  had  no  manner  of  occasion  to  do  ;  it  being 
my  only  business  to  keep  myself  entirely  concealed 
where  I  was,  unless  I  found  a  better  sort  of  creatures 
than  cannibals  to  make  myself  known  to. 

Yet  I  entertained  such  an  abhorrence  of  the 
savage  wretches  that  I  have  been  speaking  of,  and 
of  the  wretched  inhuman  custom  of  their  devour- 
ing and  eating  one  another  up,  that  I  continued  pen- 
sive and  sad,  and  kept  close  within  my  own  circle 
for  almost  two  years  after  this.  When  I  say  my 
own  circle,  I  mean  by  it  my  three  plantations,  viz., 
my  castle,  my  country  seat,  which  I  called  my 
bower,  and  my  enclosure  in  the  woods.  Nor  did  I 
look  after  this  for  any  other  use  than  as  an  enclos- 
ure for  my  goats  ;  for  the  aversion  which  Nature 
gave  me  to  these  hellish  wretches  was  such,  that  I 
was  fearful  of  seeing  them  as  of  seeing  the  devil 
himself.  Nor  did  I  so  much  as  go  to  look  after 
my  boat  in  all  this  time,  but  began  rather  to  think 
of  making  me  another  ;  for  I  could  not  think  of  ever 
making  any  more  attempts  to  bring  the  other  boat 

[186] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

round  the  island  to  me,  lest  I  should  meet  with 
some  of  these  creatures  at  sea.  in  which,  if  I  had 
happened  to  have  fallen  into  their  hands,  I  knew 
what  would  have   been   my  lot. 

Time,  however,  and  the  satisfaction  I  had  that  I 
was  in  no  danger  of  being  discovered  by  these  people, 
began  to  wear  off  my  uneasiness  about  them  •  and  I 
began  to  live  just  in  the  same  composed  manner  as 
before  ;  only  with  this  difference,  that  I  used  more 
caution,  and  kept  my  eyes  more  about  me,  than  I  did 
before,  lest  I  should  happen  to  be  seen  by  any  of 
them  ;  and  particularly,  I  was  more  cautious  of  fir- 
ing my  gun,  lest  any  of  them  being  on  the  island 
should  happen  to  hear  of  it.  And  it  was,  therefore, 
a  very  good  providence  to  me  that  I  had  furnished 
myself  with  a  tame  breed  of  goats,  that  I  needed 
not  hunt  any  more  about  the  woods,  or  shoot  at 
them.  And  if  I  did  catch  any  of  them  after  this,  it 
was  by  traps  and  snares,  as  I  had  done  before  ;  so 
that  for  two  years  after  this  I  believe  I  never  fired 
my  gun  once  off,  though  I  never  went  out  without 
it ;  and,  which  was  more,  as  I  had  saved  three  pistols 
out  of  the  ship,  I  always  carried  them  out  with  me, 
or  at  least  two  of  them,  sticking  them  in  my  goat- 
skin belt.  Also  I  furbished  up  one  of  the  great  cut- 
lasses that  I  had  out  of  the  ship,  and  made  me  a  belt 
to  put  it  on  also ;  so  that  I  was  now  a  most  formida- 
ble fellow  to  look  at  when  I  went  abroad,  if  you  add 
to  the  former  description  of  myself  the  particular  of 
two  pistols  and  a  great  broadsword  hanging  at  my 
side  in  a  belt,    but  without  a  scabbard. 

Things  going  on  thus,  as  I  have  said,  for  some 
time,  I  seemed,  ex  epting  these  cautions,  to  be  re- 
duced to  my  former  calm,  sedate  way  of  living.  All 
these  things  tended  to  showing  me,  more  and  more, 
how  far  my  condition  was  from  being  miserable, 
compared  to  some  others  ;  nay,  to  many  other  par- 

[187]' 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

ticulars  of  life,  which  it  might  have  pleased  God  to 
have  made  my  lot.  It  put  me  upon  reflecting  how 
little  repining  there  wrould  be  among  mankind  at 
any  condition  of  life,  if  people  would  rather  compare 
their  condition  with  those  that  are  worse,  in  order 
to  be  thankful,  than  be  always  comparing  them  with 
those  which  are  better,  to  assist  their  murmurings 
and  complainings. 

As  in  my  present  condition  there  were  not  really 
many  things  which  I  wanted,  so  indeed  I  thought 
that  the  frights  I  had  been  in  about  these  savage 
w7retches,  and  the  concern  I  had  been  in  for  my  own 
preservation,  had  taken  off  the  edge  of  my  invention 
for  my  own  conveniences.  And  I  had  dropped  a 
good  design,  which  I  had  once  bent  my  thoughts  too 
much  upon  ;  and  that  was,  to  try  if  I  could  not 
make  some  of  my  barley  into  malt,  and  then  try  to 
brew  myself  some  beer.  This  was  really  a  whimsical 
thought,  and  I  reproved  myself  often  for  the  simpli- 
city of  it  ;  for  I  presently  saw  there  would  be  the 
want  of  several  things  necessary  to  the  making  my 
beer,  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  supply. 
As,  first,  casks  to  preserve  it  in,  which  was  a  thing 
that,  as  I  have  observed  already,  I  could  never  com- 
pass ;  no,  though  I  spent  not  many  days,  but  weeks, 
nay,  months,  in  attempting  it,  but  to  no  purpose. 
In  the  next  place,  I  had  no  hops  to  make  it  keep,  no 
yeast  to  make  it  work,  no  copper  or  kettle  to  make 
it  boil ;  and  yet  all  these  things  notwithstanding,  I 
verily  believe,  had  not  these  things  intervened,  I 
mean  the  frights  and  terrors  I  was  in  about  the  sav- 
ages, I  had  undertaken  it,  and  perhaps  brought  it  to 
pass  too  ;  for  I  seldom  gave  anything  over  without 
accomplishing  it  when  I  once  had  it  in  my  head 
enough  to  begin  it. 

But  my  invention  now  run  quite  another  way  ; 
for,  night  and  day,  I  could  think  of  nothing  but  how 

[188] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

I  might  destroy  some  of  these  monsters  in  their 
cruel,  bloody  entertainment,  and,  if  possible,  save 
the  victim  they  should  bring  hither  to  destroy.  It 
would  take  up  a  larger  volume  than  this  whole  work 
is  intended  to  be,  to  set  down  all  the  contrivances  I 
hatched,  or  rather  brooded  upon,  in  my  thought,  for 
the  destroying  these  creatures,  or  at  least  frighting 
them  so  as  to  prevent  their  coming  hither  any  more. 
But  all  was  abortive ;  nothing  could  be  possible  to 
take  effect,  unless  I  was  to  be  there  to  do  it  myself. 
And  what  could  one  man  do  among  them,  when 
perhaps  there  might  be  twenty  or  thirty  of  them  to- 
gether, with  their  darts,  or  their  bows  and  arrows, 
with  which  they  could  shoot  as  true  to  a  mark  as  I 
could  with  my  gun  ? 

Sometimes  I  contrived  to  dig  a  hole  under  the 
place  where  they  made  their  fire,  and  put  in  five  or 
six  pound  of  gunpowder,  which,  when  they  kindled 
their  fire,  would  consequently  take  fire,  and  blow 
up  all  that  was  near  it.  But  as,  in  the  first  place, 
I  should  be  very  loth  to  waste  so  much  powder  upon 
them,  my  store  being  now  within  the  quantity  of 
one  barrel,  so  neither  could  I  be  sure  of  its  going 
off  at  any  certain  time,  when  it  might  surprise  them  ; 
and,  at  best,  that  it  would  do  little  more  than  just 
blow  the  fire  about  their  ears,  and  fright  them,  but 
not  sufficient  to  make  them  forsake  the  place.  So  I 
laid  it  aside,  and  then  proposed  that  I  would  place 
myself  in  ambush  in  some  convenient  place,  with 
my  three  guns  all  double-loaded,  and,  in  the  middle 
of  their  bloody  ceremony,  let  fly  at  them,  when  I 
should  be  sure  to  kill  or  wound  perhaps  two  or  three 
at  every  shot ;  and  then  falling  in  upon  them  with 
my  three  pistols  and  my  sword,  I  made  no  doubt 
but  that  if  there  was  twenty  I  should  kill  them  all. 
This  fancy  pleased  my  thoughts  for  some  weeks ; 
and  I  was  so  full  of  it,  that  I  often  dreamed  of  it, 

[189] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  sometimes  that  I  was  just  going  to  let  fly  at 
them  in  my  sleep. 

I  went  so  far  with  it  in  my  imagination,  that  I 
employed  myself  several  days  to  find  out  proper 
places  to  put  myself  in  ambuscade,  as  I  said,  to 
watch  for  them  ;  and  I  went  frequently  to  the  place 
itself,  which  was  now  grown  more  familiar  to  me ; 
and  especially  while  my  mind  was  thus  filled  with 
thoughts  of  revenge,  and  of  a  bloody  putting  twenty 
or  thirty  of  them  to  the  sword,  as  I  may  call  it,  the 
horror  I  had  at  the  place,  and  at  the  signals  of  the 
barbarous  wretches  devouring  one  another,  abated 
my  malice. 

Well,  at  length  I  found  a  place  in  the  side  of  the 
hill,  where  I  was  satisfied  I  might  securely  wait  till 
I  saw  any  of  their  boats  coming ;  and  might  then, 
even  before  they  would  be  ready  to  come  on  shore, 
convey  myself,  unseen,  into  thickets  of  trees,  in  one 
of  which  there  was  a  hollow  large  enough  to  conceal 
me  entirely  ;  and  where  I  might  sit  and  observe  all 
their  bloody  doings,  and  take  my  full  aim  at  their 
heads,  when  they  were  so  close  together,  as  that  it 
would  be  next  to  impossible  that  I  should  miss  my 
shot,  or  that  I  could  fail  wounding  three  or  four  of 
them  at  the  first  shot. 

In  this  place,  then,  I  resolved  to  fix  my  design  ; 
and,  accordingly,  I  prepared  two  muskets  and  my 
ordinary  fowling-piece.  The  two  muskets  I  loaded 
with  a  brace  of  slugs  each,  and  four  or  five  smaller 
bullets,  about  the  size  of  pistol-bullets ;  and  the 
fowling-piece  I  loaded  with  near  a  handful  of  swan- 
shot,  of  the  largest  size.  I  also  loaded  my  pistols 
with  about  four  bullets  each ;  and  in  this  posture, 
well  provided  with  ammunition  for  a  second  and 
third  charge,  I  prepared  myself  for  my  expedition. 

After  I  had  thus  laid  the  scheme  of  my  design,  and 
in  my  imagination  put  it  in  practice,  I  continually 

[190] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

made  my  tour  every  morning  up  to  the  top  of  the 
hill,  which  was  from  my  castle,  as  I  called  it,  about 
three  miles,  or  more,  to  see  if  I  could  observe  any 
boats  upon  the  sea  coming  near  the  island,  or  stand- 
ing over  towards  it.  But  I  began  to  tire  of  this 
hard  duty,  after  I  had,  for  two  or  three  months, 
constantly  kept  my  watch,  but  came  always  back 
without  any  discovery ;  there  having  not,  in  all  that 
time,  been  the  least  appearance,  not  only  on  or  near 
the  shore,  but  not  on  the  whole  ocean,  so  far  as  my 
eyes  or  glasses  could  reach  every  way. 

As  long  as  I  kept  up  my  daily  tour  to  the  hill  to 
look  out,  so  long  also  I  kept  up  the  vigour  of  my 
design,  and  my  spirits  seemed  to  be  all  the  while  in 
a  suitable  form  for  so  outrageous  an  execution  as 
the  killing  twenty  or  thirty  naked  savages  for  an 
offence  which  I  had  not  at  all  entered  into  a  dis- 
cussion of  in  my  thoughts,  any  farther  than  my 
passions  were  at  first  fired  by  the  horror  I  conceived 
at  the  unnatural  custom  of  that  people  of  the 
country ;  who,  it  seems,  had  been  suffered  by  Provi- 
dence, in  His  wise  disposition  of  the  world,  to  have 
no  other  guide  than  that  of  their  own  abominable 
and  vitiated  passions  ;  and  consequently  were  left, 
and  perhaps  had  been  so  for  some  ages,  to  act  such 
horrid  things,  and  receive  such  dreadful  customs,  as 
nothing  but  nature  entirely  abandoned  of  Heaven, 
and  acted  by  some  hellish  degeneracy,  could  have 
run  them  into.  But  now  when,  as  I  have  said,  I 
began  to  be  weary  of  the  fruitless  excursion  which 
I  had  made  so  long  and  so  far  every  morning  in 
vain,  so  my  opinion  of  the  action  itself  began  to 
alter ;  and  I  began,  with  cooler  and  calmer  thoughts, 
to  consider  what  it  was  I  was  going  to  engage  in. 
What  authority  or  call  I  had  to  pretend  to  be  judge 
and  executioner  upon  these  men  as  criminals,  whom 
Heaven  had  thought  fit,  for  so  many  ages,  to  suffer, 

[191] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

unpunished,  to  go  on,  and  to  be,  as  it  were,  the  exe- 
cutioners of  His  judgments  one  upon  another.  How 
far  these  people  were  offenders  against  me,  and  what 
right  I  had  to  engage  in  the  quarrel  of  that  blood 
which  they  shed  promiscuously  one  upon  another. 
I  debated  this  very  often  with  myself,  thus :  How 
do  I  know  what  God  Himself  judges  in  this  parti- 
cular case  ?  It  is  certain  these  people  either  do  not 
commit  this  as  a  crime ;  it  is  not  against  their  own 
consciences'1  reproving,  or  their  light  reproaching 
them.  They  do  not  know  it  to  be  an  offence,  and 
then  commit  it  in  defiance  of  Divine  justice,  as  we 
do  in  almost  all  the  sins  we  commit.  They  think  it 
no  more  a  crime  to  kill  a  captive  taken  in  war,  than 
we  do  to  kill  an  ox  ;  nor  to  eat  human  flesh,  than 
we  do  to  eat  mutton. 

When  I  had  considered  this  a  little,  it  followed 
necessarily  that  I  was  certainly  in  the  wrong  in  it ; 
that  these  people  were  not  murderers  in  the  sense 
that  I  had  before  condemned  them  in  my  thoughts, 
any  more  than  those  Christians  were  murderers  who 
often  put  to  death  the  prisoners  taken  in  battle  ;  or 
more  frequently,  upon  many  occasions,  put  whole 
troops  of  men  to  the  sword,  without  giving  quarter, 
though  they  threw  down  their  arms  and  submitted. 

In  the  next  place  it  occurred  to  me,  that  albeit 
the  usage  they  thus  gave  one  another  was  thus  brutish 
and  inhuman,  yet  it  was  really  nothing  to  me  ;  these 
people  had  done  me  no  injury.  That  if  they  at- 
tempted me,  or  I  saw  it  necessary  for  my  immediate 
preservation  to  fall  upon  them,  something  might  be 
said  for  it ;  but  that  as  I  was  yet  out  of  their  power, 
and  they  had  really  no  knowledge  of  me,  and  con- 
sequently no  design  upon  me,  and  therefore  it  could 
not  be  just  for  me  to  fall  upon  them.  That  this 
would  justify  the  conduct  of  the  Spaniards  in  all 
their  barbarities  practised   in   America,  and  where 

[192] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

they  destroyed  millions  of  these  people  ;  who,  how- 
ever they  were  idolaters  and  barbarians,  and  had 
several  bloody  and  barbarous  rites  in  their  customs, 
such  as  sacrificing  human  bodies  to  their  idols,  were 
yet,  as  to  the  Spaniards,  very  innocent  people  ;  and 
that  the  rooting  them  out  of  the  country  is  spoken 
of  with  the  utmost  abhorrence  and  detestation  by 
even  the  Spaniards  themselves  at  this  time,  and  by 
all  other  Christian  nations  of  Europe,  as  a  mere 
butchery,  a  bloody  and  unnatural  piece  of  cruelty, 
unjustifiable  either  to  God  or  man  ;  and  such,  as 
for  which  the  very  name  of  a  Spaniard  is  reckoned 
to  be  frightful  and  terrible  to  all  people  of  human- 
ity, or  of  Christian  compassion  ;  as  if  the  kingdom 
of  Spain  were  particularly  eminent  for  the  product 
of  a  race  of  men  who  were  without  principles  of 
tenderness,  or  the  common  bowels  of  pity  to  the 
miserable,  which  is  reckoned  to  be  a  mark  of  gen- 
erous temper  in  the  mind. 

These  considerations  really  put  me  to  a  pause,  and 
to  a  kind  of  a  full  stop  ;  and  I  began,  by  little  and 
little,  to  be  off  of  my  design,  and  to  conclude  I  had 
taken  wrong  measures  in  my  resolutions  to  attack  the 
savages ;  that  it  was  not  my  business  to  meddle  with 
them,  unless  they  first  attacked  me ;  and  this  it  was 
my  business,  if  possible,  to  prevent ;  but  that  if  I 
were  discovered  and  attacked,  then  I  knew  my 
duty. 

On  the  other  hand,  I  argued  with  myself  that  this 
really  was  the  way  not  to  deliver  myself,  but  entirely 
to  ruin  and  destroy  myself;  for  unless  I  was  sure  to 
kill  every  one  that  not  only  should  be  on  shore  at 
that  time,  but  that  should  ever  come  on  shore  after- 
wards, if  but  one  of  them  escaped  to  tell  their  coun- 
try people  what  had  happened,  they  would  come  over 
again  by  thousands  to  revenge  the  death  of  their 
fellows,  and  I  should  only  bring  upon  myself  a  cer- 
VOL.  I.  -13  [193] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

tain  destruction,  which,  at  present,  I  had  no  manner 
of  occasion  for. 

Upon  the  whole,  I  concluded  that  neither  in  prin- 
ciples nor  in  policy  I  ought,  one  way  or  other,  to 
concern  myself  in  this  affair.  That  my  business  was, 
by  all  possible  means,  to  conceal  myself  from  them, 
and  not  to  leave  the  least  signal  to  them  to  guess  by 
that  there  were  any  living  creatures  upon  the  island  ; 
I  mean  of  human  shape. 

Religion  joined  in  with  this  prudential,  and  I  was 
convinced  now,  many  ways,  that  I  was  perfectly  out 
of  my  duty  when  I  was  laying  all  my  bloody  schemes 
for  the  destruction  of  innocent  creatures  ;  I  mean 
innocent  as  to  me.  As  to  the  crimes  they  were  guilty 
of  towards  one  another,  I  had  nothing  to  do  with 
them.  They  were  national,  and  I  ought  to  leave 
them  to  the  justice  of  God,  who  is  the  Governor  of 
nations,  and  knows  how,  by  national  punishments,  to 
make  a  just  retribution  for  national  offences,  and  to 
bring  public  judgments  upon  those  who  offend  in  a 
public  manner  by  such  ways  as  best  pleases  Him. 

This  appeared  so  clear  to  me  now,  that  nothing  was 
a  greater  satisfaction  to  me  than  that  I  had  not  been 
suffered  to  do  a  thing  which  I  now  saw  so  much  rea- 
son to  believe  would  have  been  no  less  a  sin  than  that 
of  wilful  murder,  if  I  had  committed  it.  And  I  gave 
most  humble  thanks  on  my  knees  to  God,  that  had 
thus  delivered  me  from  blood-guiltiness  ;  beseeching 
Him  to  grant  me  the  protection  of  His  providence, 
that  I  might  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  bar- 
barians, or  that  I  might  not  lay  my  hands  upon  them, 
unless  I  had  a  more  clear  call  from  Heaven  to  do  it, 
in  defence  of  my  own  life. 

In  this  disposition  I  continued  for  near  a  year  after 
this ;  and  so  far  was  I  from  desiring  an  occasion  for 
falling  upon  these  wretches,  that  in  all  that  time  I 
never  once  went  up  the  hill  to  see  whether  there  were 

[194] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

any  of  them  in  sight,  or  to  know  whether  any  of 
them  had  been  on  shore  there  or  not,  that  I  might 
not  be  tempted  to  renew  any  of  my  contrivances 
against  them,  or  be  provoked, 'by  any  advantage 
which  might  present  itself,  to  fall  upon  them.  Only 
this  I  did,  I  went  and  removed  my  boat,  which  I  had 
on  the  other  side  the  island,  and  carried  it  down  to 
the  east  end  of  the  whole  island,  where  I  ran  it 
into  a  little  *  cove,  which  I  found  under  some  high 
rocks,  and  where  I  knew,  by  reason  of  the  currents, 
the  savages  durst  not,  at  least  would  not  come,  with 
their  boabs,  upon  any  account  whatsoever. 

With  my  boat  I  carried  away  everything  that  I 
had  left  there  belonging  to  her,  though  not  neces- 
sary for  the  bare  going  thither,  viz.,  a  mast  and  sail 
which  I  had  made  for  her,  and  a  thing  like  an 
anchor,  but  indeed  which  could  not  be  called  either 
anchor  or  grappling  ;  however,  it  was  the  best  I  could 
make  of  its  kind.  All  these  I  removed,  that  there 
might  not  be  the  least  shadow  of  any  discovery,  or 
any  appearance  of  any  boat,  or  of  any  human  habita- 
tion, upon  the  island. 

Besides  this,  I  kept  myself,  as  I  said,  more  re- 
tired than  ever,  and  seldom  went  from  my  cell,  other 
than  upon  my  constant  employment,  viz.,  to  milk 
my  she-goats,  and  manage  my  little  flock  in  the 
wood,  which,  as  it  was  quite  on  the  other  part  of 
the  island,  was  quite  out  of  danger ;  for  certain  it  is, 
that  these  savage  people,  who  sometimes  haunted 
this  island,  never  came  with  any  thoughts  of  finding 
anything  here,  and  consequently  never  wandered  off 
from  the  coast ;  and  I  doubt  not  but  they  might 
have  been  several  times  on  shore  after  my  appre- 
hensions of  them  had  made  me  cautious,  as  well  as 
before ;  and  indeed,  I  looked  back  with  some  horror 
upon  the  thoughts  of  what  my  condition  would  have 
been  if  I  had  chopped  upon  them   and  been  dis- 

[195] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

covered  before  that,  when,  naked  and  unarmed,  ex- 
cept with  one  gun,  and  that  loaded  often  only  with 
small  shot,  I  walked  everywhere,  peeping  and  peep- 
ing about  the  island  to  see  what  I  could  get.  What 
a  surprise  should  I  have  been  in  if,  when  I  discovered 
the  print  of  a  man's  foot,  I  had,  instead  of  that, 
seen  fifteen  or  twenty  savages,  and  found  them  pur- 
suing me,  and  by  the  swiftness  of  their  running,  no 
possibility  of  my  escaping  them  ! 

The  thoughts  of  this  sometimes  sunk  my  very 
soul  within  me,  and  distressed  my  mind  so  much, 
that  I  could  not  soon  recover  it,  to  think  what  I 
should  have  done,  and  how  I  not  only  should  not 
have  been  able  to  resist  them,  but  even  should  not 
have  had  presence  of  mind  enough  to  do  what  I 
might  have  done,  much  less  what  now,  after  so  much 
consideration  and  preparation,  I  might  be  able  to 
do.  Indeed,  after  serious  thinking  of  these  things, 
I  should  be  very  melancholy,  and  sometimes  it  would 
last  a  great  while ;  but  I  resolved  it,  at  last,  all  into 
thankfulness  to  that  Providence  which  had  delivered 
me  from  so  many  unseen  dangers,  and  had  kept  me 
from  those  mischiefs  which  I  could  no  way  have  been 
the  agent  in  delivering  myself  from,  because  I  had 
not  the  least  notion  of  any  such  thing  depending,  or 
the  least  supposition  of  it  being  possible. 

This  renewed  a  contemplation  which  often  had 
come  to  my  thoughts  in  former  time,  when  first  I 
began  to  see  the  merciful  dispositions  of  Heaven,  in 
the  dangers  we  run  through  in  this  life.  How  won- 
derfully we  are  delivered  when  we  know  nothing  of 
it.  How,  when  we  are  in  a  quandary,  as  we  call  it, 
a  doubt  or  hesitation,  whether  to  go  this  way,  or 
that  way,  a  secret  hint  shall  direct  us  this  way,  when 
we  intended  to  go  that  way  ;  nay,  when  sense,  our 
own  inclination,  and  perhaps  business,  has  called  to 
go  the  other  way,  yet  a  strange  impression  upon  the 

[  196  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

mind,  from  we  know  not  what  springs,  and  by  we 
know  not  what  power,  shall  overrule  us  to  go  this 
way  ;  and  it  shall  afterwards  appear,  that  had  we 
gone  that  way  which  we  should  have  gone,  and  even 
to  our  imagination  ought  to  have  gone,  we  should 
have  been  ruined  and  lost.  Upon  these  and  many 
like  reflections  I  afterwards  made  it  a  certain  rule 
with  me,  that  whenever  I  found  those  secret  hints  or 
pressings  of  my  mind  to  doing,  or  not  doing,  any- 
thing that  presented,  or  to  going  this  way  or  that 
way,  I  never  failed  to  obey  the  secret  dictate,  though 
I  knew  no  other  reason  for  it  than  that  such  a  pres- 
sure, or  such  a  hint,  hung  upon  my  mind.  I  could 
give  many  examples  of  the  success  of  this  conduct  in 
the  course  of  my  life,  but  more  especially  in  the 
latter  part  of  my  inhabiting  this  unhappy  island  ; 
besides  many  occasions  which  it  is  very  likely  I 
might  have  taken  notice  of,  if  I  had  seen  with  the 
same  eyes  then  that  I  saw  with  now.  But 't  is  never 
too  late  to  be  wise ;  and  I  cannot  but  advise  all 
considering  men,  whose  lives  are  attended  with  such 
extraordinary  incidents  as  mine,  or  even  though  not 
so  extraordinary,  not  to  slight  such  secret  intima- 
tions of  Providence,  let  them  come  from  what  in- 
visible intelligence  they  will.  That  I  shall  not 
discuss,  and  perhaps  cannot  account  for ;  but  cer- 
tainly they  are  a  proof  of  the  converse  of  spirits,  and 
the  secret  communication  between  those  embodied 
and  those  unembodied,  and  such  a  proof  as  can  never 
be  withstood,  of  which  I  shall  have  occasion  to  give 
some  very  remarkable  instances  in  the  remainder  of 
my  solitary  residence  in  this  dismal  place. 

I  believe  the  reader  of  this  will  not  think  strange 
if  I  confess  that  these  anxieties,  these  constant  dangers 
I  lived  in,  and  the  concern  that  was  now  upon  me, 
put  an  end  to  all  invention,  and  to  all  the  contriv- 
ances that  I  had  laid  for  my  future  accommodations 

[197] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  conveniences.  I  had  the  care  of  my  safety  more 
now  upon  my  hands  than  that  of  my  food.  I  cared 
not  to  drive  a  nail,  or  chop  a  stick  of  wood  now,  for 
fear  the  noise  I  should  make  should  be  heard  ;  much 
less  would  I  fire  a  gun,  for  the  same  reason  ;  and, 
above  all,  I  was  intolerably  uneasy  at  making  any  fire, 
lest  the  smoke,  which  is  visible  at  a  great  distance 
in  the  day,  should  betray  me  ;  and  for  this  reason 
I  removed  that  part  of  my  business  which  required 
fire,  such  as  burning  of  pots  and  pipes,  &c,  into  my 
new  apartment  in  the  woods  ;  where,  after  I  had  been 
some  time,  I  found,  to  my  unspeakable  consolation,  a 
mere  natural  cave  in  the  earth,  which  went  in  a  vast 
way,  and  where,  I  dare  say,  no  savage,  had  he  been 
at  the  mouth  of  it,  would  be  so  hardy  as  to  venture 
in  ;  nor,  indeed,  would  any  man  else,  but  one  who, 
like  me,  wanted  nothing  so  much  as  a  safe  retreat. 

The  mouth  of  this  hollow  was  at  the  bottom  of  a 
great  rock,  where,  by  mere  accident  I  would  say  (if 
I  did  not  see  abundant  reason  to  ascribe  all  such 
things  now  to  Providence),  I  was  cutting  down  some 
thick  branches  of  trees  to  make  charcoal  ;  and 
before  I  go  on,  I  must  observe  the  reason  of  my 
making  this  charcoal,  which  was  thus. 

I  was  afraid  of  making  a  smoke  about  my  habita- 
tion, as  I  said  before  ;  and  yet  I  could  not  live  there 
without  baking  my  bread,  cooking  my  meat,  &c.  So 
I  contrived  to  burn  some  wood  here,  as  I  had  seen 
done  in  England  under  turf,  till  it  became  chark,  or 
dry  coal ;  and  then  putting  the  fire  out,  I  preserved 
the  coal  to  carry  home,  and  perform  the  other  ser- 
vices which  fire  was  wanting  for  at  home,  without 
danger  of  smoke. 

But  this  is  by-the-bye.  While  I  was  cutting  down 
some  wood  here,  I  perceived  that  behind  a  very  thick 
branch  of  low  brushwood,  or  underwood,  there  was  a 
kind  of  hollow  place.     I  was  curious  to  look  into  it ; 

[198] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  getting  with  difficulty  into  the  mouth  of  it,  I 
found  it  was  pretty  large  ;  that  is  to  say,  sufficient  for 
me  to  stand  upright  in  it,  and  perhaps  another  with 
me.  But  I  must  confess  to  you  I  made  more  haste 
out  than  I  did  in  when,  looking  farther  into  the 
place,  and  which  was  perfectly  dark,  I  saw  two  broad 
shining  eyes  of  some  creature,  whether  devil  or  man 
I  knew  not,  which  twinkled  like  two  stars,  the  dim 
light  from  the  cave's  mouth  shining  directly  in,  and 
making  the  reflection. 

However,  after  some  pause  I  recovered  myself, 
and  began  to  call  myself  a  thousand  fools,  and  tell 
myself  that  he  that  was  afraid  to  see  the  devil  was 
not  fit  to  live  twenty  years  in  an  island  all  alone, 
and  that  I  durst  to  believe  there  was  nothing  in 
this  cave  that  was  more  frightful  than  myself. 
Upon  this,  plucking  up  my  courage,  I  took  up  a 
great  firebrand,  and  in  I  rushed  again,  with  the 
stick  flaming  in  my  hand.  I  had  not  gone  three 
steps  in,  but  I  was  almost  as  much  frighted  as  I  was 
before  ;  for  I  heard  a  very  loud  sigh,  like  that  of  a 
man  in  some  pain,  and  it  was  followed  by  a  broken 
noise,  as  if  of  words  half  expressed,  and  then  a  deep 
sigh  again.  I  stepped  back,  and  was  indeed  struck 
with  such  a  surprise,  that  it  put  me  into  a  cold 
sweat ;  and  if  I  had  had  a  hat  on  my  head,  I  will 
not  answer  for  it,  that  my  hair  might  not  have 
lifted  it  off.  But  still  plucking  up  my  spirits  as 
well  as  I  could,  and  encouraging  myself  a  little  with 
considering  that  the  power  and  presence  of  God  was 
everywhere,  and  was  able  to  protect  me,  upon  this 
I  stepped  forward  again,  and  by  the  light  of  the 
firebrand,  holding  it  up  a  little  over  my  head,  I  saw 
lying  on  the  ground  a  most  monstrous,  frightful,  old 
he-goat,  just  making  his  will,  as  we  say,  and  gasping 
for  life ;  and  dying,  indeed,  of  mere  old  age. 

I  stirred  him  a  little  to  see  if  I  could  get  him  out, 

[  199] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  he  essayed  to  get  up,  but  was  not  able  to  raise 
himself;  and  I  thought  with  myself  he  might  even 
lie  there;  for  if  he  had  frighted  me  so,  he  would 
certainly  fright  any  of  the  savages,  if  any  of  them 
should  be  so  hardy  as  to  come  in  there  while  he  had 
any  life  in  him. 

I  was  now  recovered  from  my  surprise,  and  began 
to  look  round  me,  when  I  found  the  cave  was  but 
very  small ;  that  is  to  say,  it  might  be  about  twelve 
feet  over,  but  in  no  manner  of  shape,  either  round  or 
square,  no  hands  having  ever  been  employed  in  mak- 
ing it  but  those  of  mere  Nature.  I  observed  also 
that  there  was  a  place  at  the  farther  side  of  it  that 
went  in  farther,  but  was  so  low,  that  it  required  me 
to  creep  upon  my  hands  and  knees  to  go  into  it,  and 
whither  I  went  I  knew  not ;  so  having  no  candle,  I 
gave  it  over  for  some  time,  but  resolved  to  come 
again  the  next  day,  provided  with  candles  and  a 
tinder-box,  which  I  had  made  of  the  lock  of  one  of 
the  muskets,  with  some  wild-fire  in  the  pan. 

Accordingly,  the  next  day  I  came  provided  with 
six  large  candles  of  my  own  making,  for  I  made  very 
good  candles  now  of  goafs  tallow  ;  and  going  into 
this  low  place,  I  was  obliged  to  creep  upon  all  fours, 
as  I  have  said,  almost  ten  yards ;  which,  by  the  way, 
I  thought  was  a  venture  bold  enough,  considering 
that  I  knew  not  how  far  it  might  go,  nor  what  was 
beyond  it.  When  I  was  got  through  the  strait,  I 
found  the  roof  rose  higher  up,  I  believe  near  twenty 
feet.  But  never  was  such  a  glorious  sight  seen  in 
the  island,  I  dare  say,  as  it  was,  to  look  round  the 
sides  and  roof  of  this  vault  or  cave  ;  the  walls  reflected 
a  hundred  thousand  lights  to  me  from  my  two  can- 
dles. What  it  was  in  the  rock,  whether  diamonds, 
or  any  other  precious  stones,  or  gold,  which  I  rather 
supposed  it  to  be,  I  knew  not. 

The  place  I  was  in  was  a  most  delightful  cavity 

[200] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

or  grotto  of  its  kind,  as  could  be  expected,  though 
perfectly  dark.  The  floor  was  dry  and  level,  and 
had  a  sort  of  small  loose  gravel  upon  it,  so  that  there 
was  no  nauseous  or  venomous  creature  to  be  seen  ; 
neither  was  there  any  damp  or  wet  on  the  sides  or 
roof.  The  only  difficulty  in  it  was  the  entrance, 
which,  however,  as  it  was  a  place  of  security,  and 
such  a  retreat  as  I  wanted,  I  thought  that  was  a 
convenience;  so  that  I  was  really  rejoiced  at  the 
discovery,  and  resolved,  without  any  delay,  to  bring 
some  of  those  things  which  I  was  most  anxious  about 
to  this  place ;  particularly,  I  resolved  to  bring  hither 
my  magazine  of  powder,  and  all  my  spare  arms,  viz., 
two  fowling-pieces,  for  I  had  three  in  all,  and  three 
muskets,  for  of  them  I  had  eight  in  all.  So  I  kept 
at  my  castle  only  five,  which  stood  ready-mounted, 
like  pieces  of  cannon,  on  my  outmost  fence  ;  and  were 
ready  also  to  take  out  upon  any  expedition. 

Upon  this  occasion  of  removing  my  ammunition, 
I  took  occasion  to  open  the  barrel  of  powder,  which 
I  took  up  out  of  the  sea,  and  which  had  been  wet  ; 
and  I  found  that  the  water  had  penetrated  about 
three  or  four  inches  into  the  powder  on  every  side, 
which  caking,  and  growing  hard,  had  preserved  the 
inside  like  a  kernel  in  a  shell  ;  so  that  I  had  near 
sixty  pounds  of  very  good  powder  in  the  centre  of 
the  cask.  And  this  was  an  agreeable  discovery  to 
me  at  that  time ;  so  I  carried  all  away  thither, 
never  keeping  above  two  or  three  pounds  of  powder 
with  me  in  my  castle,  for  fear  of  a  surprise  of  any 
kind.  I  also  carried  thither  all  the  lead  I  had  left 
for  bullets. 

I  fancied  myself  now  like  one  of  the  ancient 
giants,  which  were  said  to  live  in  caves  and  holes  in 
the  rocks,  where  none  could  come  at  them  ;  for  I 
persuaded  myself,  while  I  was  here,  if  five  hundred 
savages  were  to  hunt  me,  they  could  never  find  me 

[201  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

out ;  or,  if  they  did,  they  would  not  venture  to  at- 
tack me  here. 

The  old  goat,  whom  I  found  expiring,  died  in  the 
mouth  of  the  cave  the  next  day  after  I  made  this 
discovery  ;  and  I  found  it  much  easier  to  dig  a  great 
hole  there,  and  throw  him  in  and  cover  him  with 
earth,  than  to  drag  him  out  ;  so  I  interred  him 
there,  to  prevent  the  offence  to  my  nose. 

I  was  now  in  my  twenty -third  year  of  residence  in  * 
this  island  ;  and  was  so  naturalised  to  the  place,  and 
to  the  manner  of  living,  that  could  I  have  but  en- 
joyed the  certainty  that  no  savages  would  come  to 
the  place  to  disturb  me,  I  could  have  been  content 
to  have  capitulated  for  spending  the  rest  of  my  time 
there,  even  to  the  last  moment,  till  I  had  laid  me 
down  and  died,  like  the  old  goat  in  the  cave.  I  had 
also  arrived  to  some  little  diversions  and  amuse- 
ments, which  made  the  time  pass  more  pleasantly 
with  me  a  great  deal  than  it  did  before.  As,  first,  I 
had  taught  my  Poll,  as  I  noted  before,  to  speak  ; 
and  he  did  it  so  familiarly,  and  talked  so  articulatelv 
and  plain,  that  it  was  very  pleasant  to  me  ;  and  he 
lived  with  me  no  less  than  six  and  twenty  years. 
How  long  he  might  live  afterwards  I  know  not, 
though  I  know  they  have  a  notion  in  the  Brazils 
that  they  live  a  hundred  years.  Perhaps  poor  Poll 
may  be  alive  there  still,  calling  after  poor  Robin 
Crusoe  to  this  day.  I  wish  no  Englishman  the  ill 
luck  to  come  there  and  hear  him  ;  but  if  he  did,  he 
would  certainly  believe  it  was  the  devil.  My  dog 
was  a  very  pleasant  and  loving  companion  to  me  for 
no  less  than  sixteen  years  of  my  time,  and  then  died 
of  mere  old  age.  As  for  my  cats,  they  multiplied, 
as  I  have  observed,  to  that  degree,  that  I  was  obliged 
to  shoot  several  of  them  at  first  to  keep  them  from 
devouring  me  and  all  I  had  ;  but  at  length,  when 
the  twro  old  ones  I  brought  with  me  were  gone,  and 

[202  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

after  some  time  continually  driving  them  from  me, 
and  letting  them  have  no  provision  with  me,  they 
all  ran  wild  into  the  woods,  except  two  or  three  fa- 
vourites, which  I  kept  tame,  and  whose  young,  when 
they  had  any,  I  always  drowned  ;  and  these  were 
part  of  my  family.  Besides  these,  I  always  kept 
two  or  three  household  kids  about  me,  whom  I 
taught  to  feed  out  of  mv  hand.  And  I  had  two 
more  parrots,  which  talked  pretty  well,  and  would 
all  call  "  Robin  Crusoe,"  but  none  like  my  first  ; 
nor,  indeed,  did  I  take  the  pains  with  any  of  them 
that  I  had  done  with  him.  I  had  also  several  tame 
sea-fowls,  whose  names  I  know  not,  whom  I  caught 
upon  the  shore,  and  cut  their  wings  ;  and  the  little 
stakes  which  I  had  planted  before  my  castle  wall  be- 
ing now  grown  up  to  a  good  thick  grove,  these  fowls 
all  lived  among  these  low  trees,  and  bred  there, 
which  was  very  agreeable  to  me  ;  so  that,  as  I  said 
above,  I  began  to  be  very  well  contented  with  the 
life  I  led,  if  it  might  but  have  been  secured  from  the 
dread  of  the  savages. 

But  it  was  otherwise  directed  ;  and  it  may  not  be 
amiss  for  all  people  who  shall  meet  with  my  story, 
to  make  this  just  observation  from  it,  viz.,  how  fre- 
quently, in  the  course  of  our  lives,  the  evil  which  in 
itself  we  seek  most  to  shun,  and  which,  when  we  are 
fallen  into  it,  is  the  most  dreadful  to  us,  is  often- 
times the  very  means  or  door  of  our  deliverance,  by 
which  alone  we  can  be  raised  again  from  the  afflic- 
tion we  are  fallen  into.  I  could  give  many  examples 
of  this  in  the  course  of  my  unaccountable  life ;  but 
in  nothing  was  it  more  particularly  remarkable,  than 
in  the  circumstances  of  my  last  years  of  solitary 
residence  in  this   island. 

It  was  now  the  month  of  December,  as  I  said 
above,  in  my  twenty-third  year ;  and  this,  being 
the    southern  solstice  (for  winter  I  cannot  call  it), 

[203] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

was  the  particular  time  of  my  harvest,  and  required 
my  being  pretty  much  abroad  in  the  fields ;  when, 
going  out  pretty  early  in  the  morning,  even  before 
it  was  thorough  daylight,  I  was  surprised  with  see- 
ing a  light  of  some  fire  upon  the  shore,  at  a  distance 
from  me  of  about  two  miles,  towards  the  end  of  the 
island,  where  I  had  observed  some  savages  had  been, 
as  before.  But  not  on  the  other  side ;  but,  to  my 
great  affliction,  it  was  on  my  side  of  the  island. 

I  wTas  indeed  terribly  surprised  at  the  sight,  and 
stepped  short  within  my  grove,  not  daring  to  go 
out,  lest  I  might  be  surprised  ;  and  yet  I  had  no 
more  peace  within,  from  the  apprehensions  I  had 
that  if  these  savages,  in  rambling  over  the  island, 
should  find  my  corn  standing  or  cut,  or  any  of  my 
works  and  improvements,  they  would  immediately 
conclude  that  there  were  people  in  the  place,  and 
would  then  never  give  over  till  they  had  found  me 
out.  In  this  extremity  I  went  back  directly  to  my 
castle,  pulled  up  the  ladder  after  me,  and  made 
all  things  without  look  as  wild  and  natural  as  I 
could. 

Then  I  prepared  myself  within,  putting  myself  in 
a  posture  of  defence.  I  loaded  all  my  cannon,  as  I 
called  them,  that  is  to  say,  my  muskets,  which  were 
mounted  upon  my  new  fortification,  and  all  my 
pistols,  and  resolved  to  defend  myself  to  the  last 
gasp  ;  not  forgetting  seriously  to  commend  myself 
to  the  Divine  protection,  and  earnestly  to  pray  to 
God  to  deliver  me  out  of  the  hands  of  the  bar- 
barians. And  in  this  posture  I  continued  about 
two  hours  ;  but  began  to  be  mighty  impatient  for 
intelligence  abroad,  for  I  had  no  spies  to  send 
out. 

After  sitting  a  while  longer,  and  musing  what  I 
should  do  in  this  case,  I  was  not  able  to  bear  sitting 
in  ignorance  any  longer ;   so  setting  up  my  ladder 

[204] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  the  side  of  the  hill  where  there  was  a  flat  place, 
as  I  observed  before,  and  then  pulling  the  ladder  up 
after  me,  I  set  it  up  again,  and  mounted  to  the  top 
of  the  hill ;  and  pulling  out  my  perspective-glass, 
which  I  had  taken  on  purpose,  I  laid  me  down  flat 
on  my  belly  on  the  ground,  and  began  to  look  for 
the  place.  I  presently  found  there  was  no  less  than 
nine  naked  savages  sitting  round  a  small  fire  they 
had  made,  not  to  warm  them,  for  they  had  no  need 
of  that,  the  weather  being  extreme  hot,  but,  as  I 
supposed,  to  dress  some  of  their  barbarous  diet  of 
human  flesh  which  they  had  brought  with  them, 
whether  alive  or  dead,  I  could  not  know. 

They  had  two  canoes  with  them,  which  they  had 
hauled  up  upon  the  shore ;  and  as  it  was  then  tide 
of  ebb,  they  seemed  to  me  to  wait  for  the  return 
of  the  flood  to  go  away  again.  It  is  not  easy  to 
imagine  what  confusion  this  sight  put  me  into,  es- 
pecially seeing  them  come  on  my  side  the  island,  and 
so  near  me  too.  But  when  I  observed  their  coming 
must  be  always  with  the  current  of  the  ebb,  I  began 
afterwards  to  be  more  sedate  in  my  mind,  being  sat- 
isfied that  I  might  go  abroad  with  safety  all  the 
time  of  the  tide  of  flood,  if  they  were  not  on  shore 
before ;  and  having  made  this  observation,  I  went 
abroad  about  my  harvest-work  with  the  more 
composure. 

As  I  expected,  so  it  proved  ;  for  as  soon  as  the  tide 
made  to  the  westward,  I  saw  them  all  take  boat,  and 
row  (or  paddle,  as  we  call  it)  all  away.  I  should  have 
observed,  that  for  an  hour  and  more  before  they  went 
off,  they  went  to  dancing  ;  and  I  could  easily  discern 
their  postures  and  gestures  by  my  glasses.  I  could 
not  perceive,  by  my  nicest  observation,  but  that  they 
were  stark  naked,  and  had  not  the  least  covering  upon 
them  ;  but  whether  they  were  men  or  women,  that  I 
could  not  distinguish. 

[  205] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

As  soon  as  I  saw  them  shipped  and  gone,  I  took 
two  guns  upon  my  shoulders,  and  two  pistols  at  my 
girdle,  and  my  great  sword  by  my  side,  without  a 
scabbard,  and  with  all  the  speed  I  was  able  to  make  I 
went  away  to  the  hill  where  I  had  discovered  the  first 
appearance  of  all.  And  as  soon  as  I  gat  thither, 
which  was  not  less  than  two  hours  (for  I  could  not  go 
apace,  being  so  loden  with  arms  as  I  was),  I  perceived 
there  had  been  three  canoes  more  of  savages  on  that 
place ;  and  looking  out  farther,  I  saw  they  were  all 
at  sea  together,  making  over  for  the  main. 

This  was  a  dreadful  sight  to  me,  especially  when, 
going  down  to  the  shore,  I  could  see  the  marks  of 
horror  which  the  dismal  work  they  had  been  about 
had  left  behind  it,  viz.,  the  blood,  the  bones,  and  part 
of  the  flesh  of  human  bodies,  eaten  and  devoured  by 
those  wretches  with  merriment  and  sport.  I  was  so 
filled  with  indignation  at  the  sight,  that  I  began  now 
to  premeditate  the  destruction  of  the  next  that  I  saw 
there,  let  them  be  who  or  how  many  soever. 

It  seemed  evident  to  me  that  the  visits  which  they 
thus  made  to  this  island  are  not  very  frequent,  for  it 
was  above  fifteen  months  before  any  more  of  them 
came  on  shore  there  again  ;  that  is  to  say,  I  neither 
saw  them,  or  any  footsteps  or  signals  of  them,  in  all 
that  time ;  for,  as  to  the  rainy  seasons,  then  they  are 
sure  not  to  come  abroad,  at  least  not  so  far.  Yet 
all  this  while  I  lived  uncomfortably,  by  reason  of  the 
constant  apprehensions  I  was  in  of  their  coming  upon 
me  by  surprise ;  from  whence  I  observe,  that  the 
expectation  of  evil  is  more  bitter  than  the  suffering, 
especially  if  there  is  no  room  to  shake  off  that  ex- 
pectation, or  those  apprehensions. 

During  all  this  time  I  was  in  a  murdering  humour, 
and  took  up  most  of  my  hours,  which  should  have 
been  better  employed,  in  contriving  how  to  circum- 
vent and  fall  upon  them  the  very  next  time  I  should 

[206] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

see  them  ;  especially  if  they  should  be  divided,  as 
they  were  the  last  time,  into  two  parties.  Nor  did  I 
consider  at  all  that  if  I  killed  one  party,  suppose  ten 
or  a  dozen,  I  was  still  the  next  day,  or  week,  or 
month,  to  kill  another,  and  so  another,  even  ad  infini- 
tum, till  I  should  be  at  length  no  less  a  murderer 
than  they  were  in  being  man-eaters,  and  perhaps  much 
more  so. 

I  spent  my  days  now  in  great  perplexity  and  anxi- 
ety of  mind,  expecting  that  I  should,  one  day  or  other, 
fall  into  the  hands  of  these  merciless  creatures  ;  and 
if  I  did  at  any  time  venture  abroad,  it  was  not  with- 
out looking  round  me  with  the  greatest  care  and 
caution  imaginable.  And  now  I  found,  to  my  great 
comfort,  how  happy  it  was  that  I  provided  for  a  tame 
flock  or  herd  of  goats  ;  for  I  durst  not,  upon  any 
account,  fire  my  gun,  especially  near  that  side  of  the 
island  where  they  usually  came,  lest  I  should  alarm 
the  savages.  And  if  they  had  fled  from  me  now,  I 
was  sure  to  have  them  come  back  again,  with  per- 
haps two  or  three  hundred  canoes  with  them,  in  a 
few  days,  and  then  I  knew  what  to  expect. 

However,  I  wore  out  a  year  and  three  months 
more  before  I  ever  saw  any  more  of  the  savages,  and 
then  I  found  them  again,  as  I  shall  soon  observe.  It 
is  true  they  might  have  been  there  once  or  twice,  but 
either  they  made  no  stay,  or  at  least  I  did  not  hear 
them  ;  but  in  the  month  of  May,  as  near  as  I  could 
calculate,  and  in  my  four  and  twentieth  year,  I  had 
a  very  strange  encounter  with  them  ;  of  which  in  its 
place. 

The  perturbation  of  my  mind,  during  this  fifteen 
or  sixteen  months"1  interval,  was  very  great.  I  slept 
unquiet,  dreamed  always  frightful  dreams,  and  often 
started  out  of  my  sleep  in  the  night.  In  the  day 
great  troubles  overwhelmed  my  mind,  and  in  the 
night  I  dreamed  often  of  killing  the  savages,  and  of 

[207] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

the  reasons  why  I  might  justify  the  doing  of  it.  But, 
to  waive  all  this  for  a  while,  it  was  in  the  middle  of 
May,  on  the  sixteenth  day,  I  think,  as  well  as  my 
poor  wooden  calendar  would  reckon,  for  I  marked 
all  upon  the  post  still  ;  I  say,  it  was  the  sixteenth  of 
May  that  it  blew  a  very  great  storm  of  wind  all  day, 
with  a  great  deal  of  lightning  and  thunder,  and  a  very 
foul  night  it  was  after  it.  I  know  not  what  was  the 
particular  occasion  of  it,  but  as  I  was  reading  in  the 
Bible,  and  taken  up  with  very  serious  thoughts  about 
my  present  condition,  I  was  surprised  with  a  noise  of 
a  gun,  as  I  thought,  fired  at  sea. 

This  was,  to  be  sure,  a  surprise  of  a  quite  different 
nature  from  any  I  had  met  with  before  ;  for  the 
notions  this  put  into  my  thoughts  were  quite  of 
another  kind.  I  started  up  in  the  greatest  haste 
imaginable,  and,  in  a  trice,  clapped  my  ladder  to  the 
middle  place  of  the  rock,  and  pulled  it  after  me  ;  and 
mounting  it  the  second  time,  got  to  the  top  of  the 
hill  the  very  moment  that  a  flash  of  fire  bid  me  listen 
for  a  second  gun,  which  accordingly,  in  about  half  a 
minute,  I  heard  ;  and,  by  the  sound,  knew  that  it 
was  from  that  part  of  the  sea  where  I  was  driven 
down  the  current  in   my  boat. 

I  immediately  considered  that  this  must  be  some 
ship  in  distress,  and  that  they  had  some  comrade,  or 
some  other  ship  in  company,  and  fired  these  guns  for 
signals  of  distress,  and  to  obtain  help.  I  had  this 
presence  of  mind,  at  that  minute,  as  to  think  that 
though  I  could  not  help  them,  it  may  be  they  might 
help  me ;  so  I  brought  together  all  the  dry  wood  I 
could  get  at  hand,  and,  making  a  good  handsome 
pile,  I  set  it  on  fire  upon  the  hill.  The  wood  was 
dry,  and  blazed  freely ;  and  though  the  wind  blew 
very  hard,  yet  it  burnt  fairly  out ;  so  that  I  was 
certain,  if  there  was  any  such  tiling  as  a  ship,  they 
must  needs  see  it,  and  no  doubt  they  did  ;  for  as  soon 

[208] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

as  ever  my  fire  blazed  up  I  heard  another  gun,  and 
after  that  several  others,  all  from  the  same  quarter. 
I  plied  my  fire  all  night  long  till  day  broke  ;  and 
when  it  was  broad  day,  and  the  air  cleared  up,  I  saw 
something  at  a  great  distance  at  sea,  full  east  of  the 
island,  whether  a  sail  or  a  hull  I  could  not  distinguish, 
no,  not  with  my  glasses,  the  distance  was  so  great, 
and  the  weather  still  something  hazy  also ;  at  least  it 
was  so  out  at  sea. 

I  looked  frequently  at  it  all  that  day,  and  soon 
perceived  that  it  did  not  move ;  so  I  presently  con- 
cluded that  it  was  a  ship  at  an  anchor.  And  being 
eager,  you  may  be  sure,  to  be  satisfied,  I  took  my 
gun  in  my  hand  and  ran  toward  the  south  side  of  the 
island,  to  the  rocks  where  I  had  formerly  been  carried 
away  with  the  current ;  and  getting  up  there,  the 
weather  by  this  time  being  perfectly  clear,  I  could 
plainly  see,  to  my  great  sorrow,  the  wreck  of  a  ship, 
cast  away  in  the  night  upon  those  concealed  rocks 
which  I  found  when  I  was  out  in  my  boat ;  and 
which  rocks,  as  they  checked  the  violence  of  the 
stream,  and  made  a  kind  of  counter-stream  or  eddy, 
were  the  occasion  of  my  recovering  from  the  most 
desperate,  hopeless  condition  that  ever  I  had  been  in 
in  all  my  life. 

Thus,  what  is  one  man's  safety  is  another  man's 
destruction ;  for  it  seems  these  men,  whoever  they 
were,  being  out  of  their  knowledge,  and  the  rocks 
being  wholly  under  water,  had  been  driven  upon  them 
in  the  night,  the  wind  blowing  hard  at  E.  and  E.N.E. 
Had  they  seen  the  island,  as  I  must  necessarily  sup- 
pose they  did  not,  they  must,  as  I  thought,  have 
endeavoured  to  have  saved  themselves  on  shore  by 
the  help  of  their  boat ;  but  their  firing  of  guns  for 
help,  especially  when  they  saw,  as  I  imagined,  my 
fire,  filled  me  with  many  thoughts.  First,  I  imagined 
that  upon  seeing  my  light,  they  might  have  put 
vol.  i.—U  [  209  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

themselves  into  their  boat,  and  have  endeavoured  to 
make  the  shore ;  but  that  the  sea  going  very  high, 
they  might  have  been  cast  away.  Other  times  I 
imagined  that  they  might  have  lost  their  boat  be- 
fore, as  might  be  the  case  many  ways ;  as,  particu- 
larly, by  the  breaking  of  the  sea  upon  their  ship, 
which  many  times  obliges  men  to  stave,  or  take  in 
pieces  their  boat,  and  sometimes  to  throw  it  over- 
board with  their  own  hands.  Other  times  I  imagined 
they  had  some  other  ship  or  ships  in  company,  who, 
upon  the  signals  of  distress  they  had  made,  had  taken 
them  up  and  carried  them  off.  Other  whiles  I 
fancied  they  were  all  gone  off  to  sea  in  their  boat, 
and  being  hurried  away  by  the  current  that  I  had 
been  formerly  in,  were  carried  out  into  the  great 
ocean,  where  there  was  nothing  but  misery  and  perish- 
ing ;  and  that,  perhaps,  they  might  by  this  time 
think  of  starving,  and  of  being  in  a  condition  to  eat 
one  another. 

As  all  these  were  but  conjectures  at  best,  so,  in 
the  condition  I  was  in,  I  could  do  no  more  than  look 
on  upon  the  misery  of  the  poor  men,  and  pity  them  ; 
which  had  still  this  good  effect  on  my  side,  that  it 
gave  me  more  and  more  cause  to  give  thanks  to  God, 
who  had  so  happily  and  comfortably  provided  for  me 
in  my  desolate  condition ;  and  that  of  two  ships' 
companies  who  were  now  cast  away  upon  this  part  of 
the  world,  not  one  life  should  be  spared  but  mine. 
I  learned  here  again  to  observe,  that  it  is  very  rare 
that  the  providence  of  God  casts  us  into  any  condi- 
tion of  life  so  low,  or  any  misery  so  great,  but  we 
may  see  something  or  other  to  be  thankful  for,  and 
may  see  others  in  worse  circumstances  than  our  own. 

Such  certainly  was  the  case  of  these  men,  of  whom 
I  could  not  so  much  as  see  room  to  suppose  any  of 
them  were  saved.  Nothing  could  make  it  rational  so 
much  as  to  wish  or  expect  that  they  did  not  all  perish 

[  210  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

there,  except  the  possibility  only  of  their  being  taken 
up  by  another  ship  in  company  ;  and  this  was  but 
mere  possibility  indeed,  for  I  saw  not  the  least  sig- 
nal or  appearance  of  any  such  thing. 

I  cannot  explain,  by  any  possible  energy  of  words, 
what  a  strange  longing  or  hankering  of  desires  I  felt 
in  my  soul  upon  this  sight,  breaking  out  sometimes 
thus  :  "  Oh  that  there  had  been  but  one  or  two,  nay, 
or  but  one  soul,  saved  out  of  this  ship,  to  have  escaped 
to  me,  that  I  might  but  have  had  one  companion,  one 
fellow-creature,  to  have  spoken  to  me,  and  to  have 
conversed  with  !  "  In  all  the  time  of  my  solitary  life, 
I  never  felt  so  earnest,  so  strong  a  desire  after  the 
society  of  my  fellow-creatures,  or  so  deep  a  regret  at 
the  want  of  it. 

There  are  some  secret  moving  springs  in  the  affec- 
tions which,  when  they  are  set  agoing  by  some  object 
in  view,  or  be  it  some  object,  though  not  in  view, 
yet  rendered  present  to  the  mind  by  the  power  of 
imagination,  that  motion  carries  out  the  soul  by  its 
impetuosity  to  such  violent,  eager  embracings  of  the 
object,  that  the  absence  of  it  is  insupportable. 

Such  were  these  earnest  wishings  that  but  one  man 
had  been  saved  !  "  Oh  that  it  had  been  but  one  !  " 
I  believe  I  repeated  the  words,  "  Oh  that  it  had  been 
one  ! "  a  thousand  times ;  and  the  desires  were  so 
moved  by  it,  that  when  I  spoke  the  words  my  hands 
would  clinch  together,  and  my  fingers  press  the  palms 
of  my  hands,  that  if  I  had  had  any  soft  thing  in  my 
hand,  it  would  have  crushed  it  involuntarily  ;  and  my 
teeth  in  my  head  would  strike  together,  and  set 
against  one  another  so  strong,  that  for  some  time  I 
could  not  part  them  again. 

Let  the  naturalists  explain  these  things,  and  the 
reason  and  manner  of  them.  All  I  can  say  to  them 
is  to  describe  the  fact,  which  was  even  surprising 
to   me  when   I  found  it,  though   I  knew  not  from 

[211] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

what  it  should  proceed.  It  was  doubtless  the  effect 
of  ardent  wishes,  and  of  strong  ideas  formed  in  my 
mind,  realising  the  comfort  which  the  conversation 
of  one  of  my  fellow-Christians  would  have  been  to 
me. 

But  it  was  not  to  be.  Either  their  fate  or  mine, 
or  both,  forbid  it ;  for,  till  the  last  year  of  my  being 
on  this  island,  I  never  knew  whether  any  were  saved 
out  of  that  ship  or  no ;  and  had  only  the  affliction, 
some  days  after,  to  see  the  corpse  of  a  drowned  bov 
come  on  shore  at  the  end  of  the  island  which  was 
next  the  shipwreck.  He  had  on  no  clothes  but  a 
seaman's  waistcoat,  a  pair  of  open-kneed  linen  drawers, 
and  a  blue  linen  shirt ;  but  nothing  to  direct  me  so 
much  as  to  guess  what  nation  he  was  of.  He  had 
nothing  in  his  pocket  but  two  pieces  of  eight  and  a 
tobacco-pipe.  The  last  was  to  me  of  ten  times  more 
value  than  the  first. 

It  was  now  calm,  and  I  had  a  great  mind  to  ven- 
ture out  in  my  boat  to  this  wreck,  not  doubting  but 
I  might  find  something  on  board  that  might  be  use- 
ful to  me.  But  that  did  not  altogether  press  me  so 
much  as  the  possibility  that  there  might  be  yet  some 
living  creature  on  board,  whose  life  I  might  not  only 
save,  but  might,  by  saving  that  life,  comfort  my  own 
to  the  last  degree.  And  this  thought  clung  so  to 
my  heart,  that  I  could  not  be  quiet  night  nor  day, 
but  I  must  venture  out  in  my  boat  on  board  this 
wreck ;  and  committing  the  rest  to  God's  providence, 
I  thought,  the  impression  was  so  strong  upon  my 
mind  that  it  could  not  be  resisted,  that  it  must  come 
from  some  invisible  direction,  and  that  I  should  be 
wanting  to  myself  if  I  did  not  go. 

Under  the  power  of  this  impression,  I  hastened 
back  to  my  castle,  prepared  everything  for  my 
voyage,  took  a  quantity  of  bread,  a  great  pot  for 
fresh  water,  a  compass  to  steer  by,  a  bottle  of  rum 

[212] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

(for  I  had  still  a  great  deal  of  that  left),  a  basket 
full  of  raisins.  And  thus,  loading  myself  with  every- 
thing necessary,  I  went  down  to  my  boat,  got  the 
water  out  of  her,  and  got  her  afloat,  loaded  all  my 
cargo  in  her,  and  then  went  home  again  for  more. 
My  second  cargo  was  a  great  bag  full  of  rice,  the 
umbrella  to  set  up  over  my  head  for  shade,  another 
large  pot  full  of  fresh  water,  and  about  two  dozen 
of  my  small  loaves,  or  barley-cakes,  more  than  before, 
with  a  bottle  of  goafs  milk  and  a  cheese ;  all  which, 
with  great  labour  and  sweat,  I  brought  to  my  boat. 
And  praying  to  God  to  direct  my  voyage,  I  put  out ; 
and  rowing,  or  paddling,  the  canoe  along  the  shore, 
I  came  at  last  to  the  utmost  point  of  the  island  on 
that  side,  viz.,  N.E.  And  now  I  was  to  launch  out 
into  the  ocean,  and  either  to  venture  or  not  to 
venture.  I  looked  on  the  rapid  currents  which  ran 
constantly  on  both  sides  of  the  island  at  a  distance, 
and  which  were  very  terrible  to  me,  from  the  remem- 
brance of  the  hazard  I  had  been  in  before,  and  my 
heart  began  to  fail  me;  for  I  foresaw  that  if  I  was 
driven  into  either  of  those  currents,  I  should  be 
carried  a  vast  way  out  to  sea,  and  perhaps  out  of  my 
reach,  or  sight  of  the  island  again  ;  and  that  then, 
as  my  boat  was  but  small,  if  any  little  gale  of  wind 
should  rise,  I  should  be  inevitably  lost. 

These  thoughts  so  oppressed  my  mind,  that  I  be- 
gan to  give  over  my  enterprise  ;  and  having  hauled 
my  boat  into  a  little  creek  on  the  shore,  I  stepped 
out,  and  sate  me  down  upon  a  little  rising  bit  of 
ground,  very  pensive  and  anxious,  between  fear  and 
desire,  about  my  voyage  ;  when,  as  I  was  musing, 
I  could  perceive  that  the  tide  was  turned,  and  the 
flood  come  on  ;  upon  which  my  going  was  for  so 
many  hours  impracticable.  Upon  this,  presently  it 
occurred  to  me  that  I  should  go  up  to  the  highest 
piece  of  ground  I  could  find  and  observe,  if  I  could, 

[213  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

how  the  sets  of  the  tide,  or  currents,  lay  when  the 
flood  came  in,  that  I  might  judge  whether,  if  I  was 
driven  one  way  out,  I  might  not  expect  to  be  driven 
another  way  home,  with  the  same  rapidness  of  the 
currents.  This  thought  was  no  sooner  in  my  head 
but  I  cast  my  eye  upon  a  little  hill,  which  suffi- 
ciently overlooked  the  sea  both  ways,  and  from 
whence  I  had  a  clear  view  of  the  currents,  or  sets 
of  the  tide,«and  which  way  I  was  to  guide  myself  in 
my  return.  Here  I  found,  that  as  the  current  of 
the  ebb  set  out  close  by  the  south  point  of  the 
island,  so  the  current  of  the  flood  set  in  close  by 
the  shore  of  the  north  side  ;  and  that  I  had  nothing 
to  do  but  to  keep  to  the  north  of  the  island  in  my 
return,  and  I  should  do  well  enough. 

Encouraged  with  this  observation,  I  resolved  the 
next  morning  to  set  out  with  the  first  of  the  tide, 
and  reposing  myself  for  the  night  in  the  canoe, 
under  the  great  watch-coat  I  mentioned,  I  launched 
out.  I  made  first  a  little  out  to  sea,  full  north,  till 
I  began  to  feel  the  benefit  of  the  current  which  set 
eastward,  and  which  carried  me  at  a  great  rate ; 
and  yet  did  not  so  hurry  me  as  the  southern  side 
current  had  done  before,  and  so  as  to  take  from  me 
all  government  of  the  boat ;  but  having  a  strong 
steerage  with  my  paddle,  I  wrent  at  a  great  rate 
directly  for  the  wreck,  and  in  less  than  two  hours 
I  came  up  to  it. 

It  was  a  dismal  sight  to  look  at.  The  ship,  which, 
by  its  building,  was  Spanish,  stuck  fast,  jammed  in 
between  two  rocks.  All  the  stern  and  quarter  of 
her  was  beaten  to  pieces  with  the  sea  ;  and  as  her 
forecastle,  which  stuck  in  the  rocks,  had  run  on  with 
great  violence,  her  mainmast  and  foremast  were 
brought  by  the  board ;  that  is  to  say,  broken  short 
off;  but  her  bowsprit  was  sound,  and  the  head  and 
bow  appeared   firm.     When  I  came  close  to  her  a 

[214  J 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

dog  appeared  upon  her,  who,  seeing  me  coming, 
yelped  and  cried ;  and  as  soon  as  I  called  him, 
jumped  into  the  sea  to  come  to  me,  and  I  took  him 
into  the  boat,  but  found  him  almost  dead  for  hun- 
ger and  thirst.  I  gave  him  a  cake  of  my  bread,  and 
he  eat  it  like  a  ravenous  wolf  that  had  been  starving 
a  fortnight  in  the  snow.  I  then  gave  the  poor 
creature  some  fresh  water,  with  which,  if  I  would 
have  let  him,  he  would  have  burst  himself. 

After  this  I  went  on  board  ;  but  the  first  sight  I 
met  with  was  two  men  drowned  in  the  cook-room,  or 
forecastle  of  the  ship,  with  their  arms  fast  about  one 
another.  I  concluded,  as  is  indeed  probable,  that 
when  the  ship  struck,  it  being  in  a  storm,  the  sea 
broke  so  high,  and  so  continually  over  her,  that  the 
men  were  not  able  to  bear  it,  and  were  strangled 
with  the  constant  rushing  in  of  the  water,  as  much 
as  if  they  had  been  under  water.  Besides  the  dog, 
there  was  nothing  left  in  the  ship  that  had  life ;  nor 
any  goods  that  I  could  see,  but  what  were  spoiled 
by  the  water.  There  were  some  casks  of  liquor, 
whether  wine  or  brandy  I  knew  not,  which  lay  lower 
in  the  hold,  and  which,  the  water  being  ebbed  out, 
I  could  see  ;  but  they  were  too  big  to  meddle  with. 
I  saw  several  chests,  which  I  believed  belonged  to 
some  of  the  seamen  ;  and  I  got  two  of  them  into  the 
boat,  without  examining  what  was  in  them. 

Had  the  stern  of  the  ship  been  fixed,  and  the  fore- 
part broken  off,  I  am  persuaded  I  might  have  made 
a  good  voyage  ;  for  by  what  I  found  in  these  two 
chests,  I  had  room  to  suppose  the  ship  had  a  great 
deal  of  wealth  on  board  ;  and  if  I  may  guess  by  the 
course  she  steered,  she  must  have  been  bound  from 
the  Buenos  Ayres,  or  the  Rio  de  la  Plata,  in  the 
south  part  of  America,  beyond  the  Brazils,  to  the 
Havana,  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  so  perhaps  to 
Spain.     She  had,  no  doubt,  a  great  treasure  in  her, 

[215] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

but  of  no  use,  at  that  time,  to  anybody  ;  and  what 
became  of  the  rest  of  her  people,  I  then  knew  not. 

I  found,  besides  these  chests,  a  little  cask  full  of 
liquor,  of  about  twenty  gallons,  which  I  got  into  my 
boat  with  much  difficulty.  There  were  several  mus- 
kets in  a  cabin,  and  a  great  powder-horn,  with  about 
four  pounds  of  powder  in  it.  As  for  the  muskets,  I 
had  no  occasion  for  them,  so  I  left  them,  but  took 
the  powder-horn.  I  took  a  fire-shovel  and  tongs, 
which  I  wanted  extremely  ;  as  also  two  little  brass 
kettles,  a  copper  pot  to  make  chocolate,  and  a  grid- 
iron. And  with  this  cargo,  and  the  dog,  I  came 
away,  the  tide  beginning  to  make  home  again  ;  and 
the  same  evening,  about  an  hour  within  night,  I 
reached  the  island  again,  weary  and  fatigued  to  the 
last  degree. 

I  reposed  that  night  in  the  boat  ;  and  in  the 
morning  I  resolved  to  harbour  what  I  had  gotten  in 
my  new  cave,  not  to  carry  it  home  to  my  castle. 
After  refreshing  myself,  I  got  all  my  cargo  on  shore, 
and  began  to  examine  the  particulars.  The  cask  of 
liquor  I  found  to  be  a  kind  of  rum,  but  not  such  as 
we  had  at  the  Brazils,  and,  in  a  word,  not  at  all 
good.  But  when  I  came  to  open  the  chests,  I  found 
several  things  of  great  use  to  me.  For  example,  I 
found  in  one  a  fine  case  of  bottles,  of  an  extraordi- 
nary kind,  and  filled  with  cordial  waters,  fine,  and 
very  good  ;  the  bottles  held  about  three  pints  each, 
and  were  tipped  with  silver.  I  found  two  pots  of 
very  good  succades,  or  sweetmeats,  so  fastened  also 
on  top,  that  the  salt  water  had  not  hurt  them  ;  and 
two  more  of  the  same,  which  the  water  had  spoiled. 
I  found  some  very  good  shirts,  which  were  very  wel- 
come to  me  ;  and  about  a  dozen  and  half  of  linen 
white  handkerchiefs  and  coloured  neckcloths.  The 
former  were  also  very  welcome,  being  exceeding  re- 
freshing to  wipe  my  face  in  a  hot  day.     Besides  this, 

[216] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

when  I  came  to  the  till  in  the  chest,  I  found  there 
three  great  bags  of  pieces  of  eight,  which  held  out 
about  eleven  hundred  pieces  in  all ;  and  in  one  of 
them,  wrapped  up  in  a  paper,  six  doubloons  of  gold, 
and  some  small  bars  or  wedges  of  gold.  I  suppose 
they  might  all  weigh  near  a  pound. 

The  other  chest  I  found  had  some  clothes  in  it, 
but  of  little  value  ;  but  by  the  circumstances,  it  must 
have  belonged  to  the  gunner's  mate  ;  though  there 
was  no  powder  in  it,  but  about  two  pounds  of  fine 
glazed  powder,  in  three  small  flasks,  kept,  I  suppose, 
for  charging  their  fowling-pieces  on  occasion.  Upon 
the  whole,  I  got  very  little  by  this  voyage  that  was 
of  any  use  to  me ;  for  as  to  the  money,  I  had  no 
manner  of  occasion  for  it ;  't  was  to  me  as  the  dirt 
under  my  feet ;  and  I  would  have  given  it  all  for 
three  or  four  pair  of  English  shoes  and  stockings, 
which  were  things  I  greatly  wanted,  but  had  not 
had  on  my  feet  now  for  many  years.  I  had  indeed 
gotten  two  pair  of  shoes  now,  which  I  took  off  of 
the  feet  of  the  two  drowned  men  whom  I  saw  in 
the  wreck,  and  I  found  two  pair  more  in  one  of  the 
chests,  which  were  very  welcome  to  me ;  but  they 
were  not  like  our  English  shoes,  either  for  ease  or 
service,  being  rather  what  we  call  pumps  than  shoes. 
I  found  in  this  seaman's  chest  about  fifty  pieces  of 
eight  in  royals,  but  no  gold.  I  suppose  this  be- 
longed to  a  poorer  man  than  the  other,  which 
seemed  to  belong  to  some  officer. 

Well,  however,  I  lugged  this  money  home  to  my 
cave,  and  laid  it  up,  as  I  had  done  that  before  which 
I  brought  from  our  own  ship;  but  it  was  great  pity,  as 
I  said,  that  the  other  part  of  this  ship  had  not  come 
to  my  share,  for  I  am  satisfied  I  might  have  loaded  my 
canoe  several  times  over  with  money,  which,  if  I  had 
ever  escaped  to  England,  would  have  lain  here  safe 
enough  till  I  might  have  come  again  and  fetched  it. 

[217] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

Having  now  brought  all  my  things  on  shore,  and 
secured  them,  I  went  back  to  my  boat,  and  rowed 
or  paddled  her  along  the  shore  to  her  old  harbour, 
where  I  laid  her  up,  and  made  the  best  of  my  way  to 
my  old  habitation,  where  I  found  everything  safe 
and  quiet.  So  I  began  to  repose  myself,  live  after 
my  old  fashion,  and  take  care  of  my  family  affairs  ; 
and,  for  a  while,  I  lived  easy  enough,  only  that  I 
was  more  vigilant  than  I  used  to  be,  looked  out 
oftener,  and  did  not  go  abroad  so  much ;  and  if  at 
any  time  I  did  stir  with  any  freedom,  it  was  always 
to  the  east  part  of  the  island,  where  I  was  pretty 
well  satisfied  the  savages  never  came,  and  where  I 
could  go  without  so  many  precautions,  and  such  a 
load  of  arms  and  ammunition  as  I  always  carried 
with  me  if  I  went  the  other  way. 

I  lived  in  this  condition  near  two  years  more  ;  but 
my  unlucky  head,  that  was  always  to  let  \ne  know  it 
was  born  to  make  my  body  miserable,  was  all  this 
two  years  filled  with  projects  and  designs,  how,  if  it 
were  possible,  I  might  get  away  from  this  island  ; 
for  sometimes  I  was  for  making  another  voyage  to 
the  wreck,  though  my  reason  told  me  that  there  was 
nothing  left  there  worth  the  hazard  of  my  voyage  ; 
sometimes  for  a  ramble  one  way,  sometimes  another  ; 
and  I  believe  verily,  if  I  had  had  the  boat  that  I 
went  from  Sallee  in,  I  should  have  ventured  to  sea, 
bound  anywhere,  I  knew  not  whither. 

I  have  been,  in  all  my  circumstances,  a  memento 
to  those  who  are  touched  with  the  general  plague  of 
mankind,  whence,  for  aught  I  know,  one-half  of 
their  miseries  flow ;  I  mean,  that  of  not  being  satis- 
fied with  the  station  wherein  God  and  Nature  has 
placed  them  ;  for  not  to  look  back  upon  my  primi- 
tive condition,  and  the  excellent  advice  of  my  father, 
the  opposition  to  which  was,  as  I  may  call  it,  my 
original  sin,  my   subsequent  mistakes   of  the  same 

[218] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

kind  had  been  the  means  of  my  coming  into  this 
miserable  condition  ;  for  had  that  Providence,  which 
so  happily  had  seated  me  at  the  Brazils  as  a  planter, 
blessed  me  with  confined  desires,  and  I  could  have 
been  contented  to  have  gone  on  gradually,  I  might 
have  been,  by  this  time,  I  mean  in  the  time  of  my 
being  in  this  island,  one  of  the  most  considerable 
planters  in  the  Brazils  ;  nay,  I  am  persuaded  that  by 
the  improvements  I  had  made  in  that  little  time  I 
lived  there,  and  the  increase  I  should  probably  have 
made  if  I  had  stayed,  I  might  have  been  worth  an 
hundred  thousand  moidores.  And  what  business 
had  I  to  leave  a  settled  fortune,  a  well-stocked  plan- 
tation, improving  and  increasing,  to  turn  supercargo 
to  Guinea  to  fetch  negroes,  when  patience  and  time 
would  have  so  increased  our  stock  at  home,  that  we 
could  have  bought  them  at  our  own  door  from  those 
whose  business  it  was  to  fetch  them ;  and  though  it 
had  cost  us  something  more,  yet  the  difference  of 
that  price  was  by  no  means  worth  saving  at  so  great 
a  hazard. 

But  as  this  is  ordinarily  the  fate  of  young 
heads,  so  reflection  upon  the  folly  of  it  is  as  ordi- 
narily the  exercise  of  more  years,  or  of  the  dear- 
bought  experience  of  time  ;  and  so  it  was  with  me 
now.  And  yet,  so  deep  had  the  mistake  taken  root 
in  my  temper,  that  I  could  not  satisfy  myself  in  my 
station,  but  was  continually  poring  upon  the  means 
and  possibility  of  my  escape  from  this  place.  And 
that  I  may,  with  the  greater  pleasure  to  the  reader, 
bring  on  the  remaining  part  of  my  story,  it  may  not 
be  improper  to  give  some  account  of  my  first  con- 
ceptions on  the  subject  of  this  foolish  scheme  for  my 
escape,  and  how,  and  upon  what  foundation,  I  acted. 

I  am  now  to  be  supposed  retired  into  my  castle, 
after  my  late  voyage  to  the  wreck,  my  frigate  laid 
up  and  secured  under  water,  as  usual,  and  my  con- 

[  219  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

dition  restored  to  what  it  was  before.  I  had  more 
wealth,  indeed,  than  I  had  before,  but  was  not  at  all 
the  richer ;  for  I  had  no  more  use  for  it  than  the 
Indians  of  Peru  had  before  the  Spaniards  came  there. 

It  was  one  of  the  nights  in  the  rainy  season  in 
March,  the  four  and  twentieth  year  of  my  first  set- 
ting foot  in  this  island  of  solitariness.  I  was  lying 
in  my  bed,  or  hammock,  awake,  very  well  in  health, 
had  no  pain,  no  distemper,  no  uneasiness  of  body, 
no,  nor  any  uneasiness  of  mind,  more  than  ordinary, 
but  could  by  no  means  close  my  eyes,  that  is,  so  as 
to  sleep;  no,  not  a  wink  all  night  long,  otherwise 
than  as  follows. 

It  is  as  impossible,  as  needless,  to  set  down  the  in- 
numerable crowd  of  thoughts  that  whirled  through 
that  great  thoroughfare  of  the  brain,  the  memory, 
in  this  night's  time.  I  ran  over  the  whole  history 
of  my  life  in  miniature,  or  by  abridgment,  as  I  may 
call  it,  to  my  coming  to  this  island,  and  also  of  the 
part  of  my  life  since  I  came  to  this  island.  In  my 
reflections  upon  the  state  of  my  case  since  I  came  on 
shore  on  this  island,  I  was  comparing  the  happy 
posture  of  my  affairs  in  the  first  years  of  my  habi- 
tation here  compared  to  the  life  of  anxiety,  fear,  and 
care  which  I  had  lived  ever  since  I  had  seen  the 
print  of  a  foot  in  the  sand  ;  nor  that  I  did  not  believe 
the  savages  had  frequented  the  island  even  all  the 
while,  and  might  have  been  several  hundreds  of  them 
at  times  on  shore  there ;  but  I  had  never  known  it, 
and  was  incapable  of  any  apprehensions  about  it. 
My  satisfaction  was  perfect,  though  my  danger  was 
the  same ;  and  I  was  as  happy  in  not  knowing  my 
danger,  as  if  I  had  never  really  been  exposed  to  it. 
This  furnished  my  thoughts  with  many  very  profit- 
able reflections,  and  particularly  this  one  :  how  in- 
finitely good  that  Providence  is  which  has  provided, 
in  its  government  of  mankind,  such  narrow  bounds 

[  220  ]  ' 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  his  sight  and  knowledge  of  things ;  and  though 
he  walks  in  the  midst  of  so  many  thousand  dangers, 
the  sight  of  which,  if  discovered  to  him,  would  dis- 
tract his  mind  and  sink  his  spirits,  he  is  kept  serene 
and  calm,  by  having  the  events  of  things  hid  from 
his  eyes,  and  knowing  nothing  of  the  dangers  which 
surround  him. 

After  these  thoughts  had  for  some  time  entertained 
me,  I  came  to  reflect  seriously  upon  the  real  danger 
I  had  been  in  for  so  many  years  in  this  very  island, 
and  how  I  had  walked  about  in  the  greatest  security, 
and  with  all  possible  tranquillity,  even  when  perhaps 
nothing  but  a  brow  of  a  hill,  a  great  tree,  or  the 
casual  approach  of  night  had  been  between  me  and 
the  worst  kind  of  destruction,  viz.,  that  of  falling 
into  the  hands  of  cannibals  and  savages,  who  would 
have  seized  on  me  with  the  same  view  as  I  did  of  a 
goat  or  a  turtle,  and  have  thought  it  no  more  a 
crime  to  kill  and  devour  me,  than  I  did  of  a  pigeon 
or  a  curlew.  I  would  unjustly  slander  myself  if  I 
should  say  I  was  not  sincerely  thankful  to  my  great 
Preserver,  to  whose  singular  protection  I  acknowl- 
edged, with  great  humility,  that  all  these  unknown 
deliverances  were  due,  and  without  which  I  must 
inevitably  have  fallen  into  their  merciless  hands. 

When  these  thoughts  were  over,  my  head  was  for 
some  time  taken  up  in  considering  the  nature  of  these 
wretched  creatures,  I  mean  the  savages,  and  how  it 
came  to  pass  in  the  world  that  the  wise  Governor 
of  all  things  should  give  up  any  of  His  creatures  to 
such  inhumanity  ;  nay,  to  something  so  much  below 
even  brutality  itself,  as  to  devour  its  own  kind.  But 
as  this  ended  in  some  (at  that  time  fruitless)  specula- 
tions, it  occurred  to  me  to  inquire  what  part  of  the 
world  these  wretches  lived  in  ?  how  far  off  the  coast 
was  from  whence  they  came  ?  what  they  ventured  over 
so  far  from  home  for  ?  what  kind  of  boats  they  had  ? 

[221  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  why  I  might  not  order  myself  and  my  business 
so,  that  I  might  be  as  able  to  go  over  thither,  as 
they  were  to  come  to  me. 

I  never  so  much  as  troubled  myself  to  consider  what 
I  should  do  with  myself  when  I  came  thither ;  what 
would  become  of  me,  if  I  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
savages  ;  or  how  I  should  escape  from  them,  if  they 
attempted  me  ;  no,  nor  so  much  as  how  it  was  possible 
for  me  to  reach  the  coast,  and  not  be  attempted  by 
some  or  other  of  them,  without  any  possibility  of 
delivering  myself;  and  if  I  should  not  fall  into  their 
hands,  what  I  should  do  for  provision,  or  whether  I 
should  bend  my  course.  None  of  these  thoughts,  I 
say,  so  much  as  came  in  my  way  ;  but  my  mind,  was 
wholly  bent  upon  the  notion  of  my  passing  over  in 
my  boat  to  the  mainland.  I  looked  back  upon  my 
present  condition  as  the  most  miserable  that  could 
possibly  be  ;  that  I  was  not  able  to  throw  myself  into 
anything,  but  death,  that  could  be  called  worse ; 
that  if  I  reached  the  shore  of  the  main,  I  might  per- 
haps meet  with  relief,  or  I  might  coast  along,  as  I 
did  on  the  shore  of  Africa,  till  I  came  to  some  in- 
habited country,  and  where  I  might  find  some  relief ; 
and  after  all,  perhaps  I  might  fall  in  with  some 
Christian  ship  that  might  take  me  in  ;  and  if  the 
worse  came  to  the  worst,  I  could  but  die,  which 
would  put  an  end  to  all  these  miseries  at  once.  Pray 
note,  all  this  was  the  fruit  of  a  disturbed  mind,  an 
impatient  temper,  made  as  it  were  desperate  by  the 
long  continuance  of  my  troubles,  and  the  disappoint- 
ments I  had  met  in  the  wreck  I  had  been  on  board 
of,  and  where  I  had  been  so  near  the  obtaining  what 
I  so  earnestly  longed  for,  viz.,  somebody  to  speak 
to,  and  to  learn  some  knowledge  from  of  the  place 
where  I  was,  and  of  the  probable  means  of  my  de- 
liverance. I  say,  I  was  agitated  wholly  by  these 
thoughts.     All  my  calm  of  mind,  in  my  i^esignation 

[222] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  Providence,  and  waiting  the  issue  of  the  disposi- 
tions of  Heaven,  seemed  to  be  suspended  ;  and  I  had, 
as  it  were,  no  power  to  turn  my  thoughts  to  any- 
thing but  to  the  project  of  a  voyage  to  the  main, 
which  came  upon  me  with  such  force,  and  such  an 
impetuosity  of  desire,  that  it  was  not  to  be  resisted. 
When  this  had  agitated  my  thoughts  for  two  hours, 
or  more,  with  such  violence  that  it  set  my  very  blood 
into  a  ferment,  and  my  pulse  beat  as  high  as  if  I  had 
been  in  a  fever,  merely  with  the  extraordinary  fervour 
of  my  mind  about  it,  Nature,  as  if  I  had  been  fatigued 
and  exhausted  with  the  very  thought  of  it,  threw 
me  into  a  sound  sleep.  One  would  have  thought  I 
should  have  dreamed  of  it,  but  I  did  not,  nor  of  any- 
thing relating  to'  it ;  but  I  dreamed  that  as  I  was 
going  out  in  the  morning,  as  usual,  from  my  castle, 
I  saw  upon  the  shore  two  canoes  and  eleven  savages 
coming  to  land,  and  that  they  brought  with  them 
another  savage,  whom  they  were  going  to  kill  in 
order  to  eat  him  ;  when,  on  a  sudden,  the  savage 
that  they  were  going  to  kill  jumped  away,  and  ^an 
for  his  life.  And  I  thought,  in  my  sleep,  that  he 
came  running  into  my  little  thick  grove  before  my 
fortification  to  hide  himself;  and  that  I,  seeing  him 
alone,  and  not  perceiving  that  the  other  sought  him 
that  way,  showed  myself  to  him,  and  smiling  upon 
him,  encouraged  him ;  that  he  kneeled  down  to  me, 
seeming  to  pray  me  to  assist  him  ;  upon  which  I 
showed  my  ladder,  made  him  go  up,  and  carried  him 
into  my  cave,  and  he  became  my  servant ;  and  that 
as  soon  as  I  had  gotten  this  man,  I  said  to  myself, 
"  Now  I  may  certainly  venture  to  the  mainland  ;  for 
this  fellow  will  serve  me  as  a  pilot,  and  will  tell  me 
what  to  do,  and  whither  to  go  for  provisions,  and 
whither  not  to  go  for  fear  of  being  devoured  ;  what 
places  to  venture  into,  and  what  to  escape."  I  waked 
with  this  thought,  and  was  under  such  inexpressible 

[223] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

impressions  of  joy  at  the  prospect  of  my  escape  in 
my  dream,  that  the  disappointments  which  I  felt 
upon  coming  to  myself  and  finding  it  was  no  more 
than  a  dream  were  equally  extravagant  the  other  way, 
and  threw  me  into  a  very  great  dejection  of  spirit. 

Upon  this,  however,  I  made  this  conclusion  ;  that 
my  only  way  to  go  about  an  attempt  for  an  escape 
was,  if  possible,  to  get  a  savage  into  my  possession  ; 
and,  if  possible,  it  should  be  one  of  their  prisoners 
whom  thev  had  condemned  to  be  eaten,  and  should 
bring  thither  to  kill.  But  these  thoughts  still  were 
attended  with  this  difficulty,  that  it  was  impossible 
to  effect  this  without  attacking  a  whole  caravan  of 
them,  and  killing  them  all ;  and  this  was  not  only 
a  very  desperate  attempt,  and  might  miscarry,  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  I  had  greatly  scrupled  the  law- 
fulness of  it  to  me  ;  and  my  heart  trembled  at  the 
thoughts  of  shedding  so  much  blood,  though  it  was 
for  my  deliverance.  I  need  not  repeat  the  argu- 
ments which  occurred  to  me  against  this,  they  being 
the  same  mentioned  before.  But  though  I  had 
other  reasons  to  offer  now,  viz.,  that  those  men  were 
enemies  to  my  life,  and  would  devour  me  if  they 
could  ;  that  it  was  self-preservation,  in  the  highest 
degree,  to  deliver  myself  from  this  death  of  a  life, 
and  was  acting  in  my  own  defence  as  much  as  if 
they  were  actually  assaulting  me,  and  the  like ;  I 
say,  though  these  things  argued  for  it,  yet  the 
thoughts  of  shedding  human  blood  for  my  deliver- 
ance were  very  terrible  to  me,  and  such  as  I  could 
by  no  means  reconcile  myself  to  a  great  while. 

However,  at  last,  after  many  secret  disputes  with 
myself,  and  after  great  perplexities  about  it,  for  all 
these  arguments,  one  way  and  another,  struggled  in 
my  head  a  long  time,  the  eager  prevailing  desire  of 
deliverance  at  length  mastered  all  the  rest,  and  I 
resolved,  if  possible,  to  get  one  of  those  savages  into 

[224] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

my  hands,  cost  what  it  would.  My  next  thing  then 
was  to  contrive  how  to  do  it,  and  this  indeed  was 
very  difficult  to  resolve  on.  But  as  I  could  pitch 
upon  no  probable  means  for  it,  so  I  resolved  to  put 
myself  upon  the  watch,  to  see  them  when  they  came 
on  shore,  and  leave  the  rest  to  the  event,  taking 
such  measures  as  the  opportunity  should  present, 
let  be  what  would  be. 

With  these  resolutions  in  my  thoughts,  I  set  my- 
self upon  the  scout  as  often  as  possible,  and  indeed 
so  often,  till  I  was  heartily  tired  of  it ;  for  it  was 
above  a  year  and  half  that  I  waited  ;  and  for  great 
part  of  that  time  went  out  to  the  west  end,  and  to 
the  south-west  corner  of  the  island,  almost  every 
day,  to  see  for  canoes,  but  none  appeared.  This 
was  very  discouraging,  and  began  to  trouble  me 
much ;  though  I  cannot  say  that  it  did  in  this  case, 
as  it  had  done  some  time  before  that,  viz.,  wear  off 
the  edge  of  my  desire  to  the  thing.  But  the  longer 
it  seemed  to  be  delayed,  the  more  eager  I  was  for 
it.  In  a  word,  I  was  not  at  first  so  careful  to  shun 
the  sight  of  these  savages,  and  avoid  being  seen  by 
them,  as  I  was  now  eager  to  be  upon    them. 

Besides,  I  fancied  myself  able  to  manage  one,  nay, 
two  or  three  savages,  if  I  had  them,  so  as  to  make 
them  entirely  slaves  to  me,  to  do  whatever  I  should 
direct  them,  and  to  prevent  their  being  able  at  any 
time  to  do  me  any  hurt.  It  was  a  great  while  that 
I  pleased  myself  with  this  affair ;  but  nothing  still 
presented.  All  my  fancies  and  schemes  came  to 
nothing,  for  no  savages  came  near  me  for  a  great 
while. 

About  a  year  and  half  after  I  had  entertained 
these  notions,  and  by  long  musing  had,  as  it  were, 
resolved  them  all  into  nothing,  for  want  of  an  occa- 
sion to  put  them  in  execution,  I  was  surprised,  one 
morning  early,  with  seeing  no  less  than  five  canoes 
VOL.  i.  — 15  [  225  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

all  on  shore  together  on  my  side  the  island,  and  the 
people  who  belonged  to  them  all  landed,  and  out  of 
my  sight.  The  number  of  them  broke  all  my  meas- 
ures ;  for  seeing  so  many,  and  knowing  that  they 
always  came  four,  or  six,  or  sometimes  more,  in  a 
boat,  I  could  not  tell  what  to  think  of  it,  or  how 
to  take  my  measures  to  attack  twenty  or  thirty  men 
single-handed  ;  so  I  lay  still  in  my  castle,  perplexed 
and  discomforted.  However,  I  put  myself  into  all 
the  same  postures  for  an  attack  that  I  had  formerly 
provided,  and  was  just  ready  for  action  if  anything 
had  presented.  Having  waited  a  good  while,  listen- 
ing to  hear  if  they  made  any  noise,  at  length,  being 
very  impatient,  I  set  my  guns  at  the  foot  of  my 
ladder,  and  clambered  up  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  by 
my  two  stages,  as  usual ;  standing  so,  however,  that 
my  head  did  not  appear  above  the  hill,  so  that  they 
could  not  perceive  me  by  any  means.  Here  I  ob- 
served, by  the  help  of  my  perspective  glass,  that  they 
were  no  less  than  thirty  in  number,  that  they  had  a 
fire  kindled,  that  they  had  had  meat  dressed.  How 
they  had  cooked  it,  that  I  knew  not,  or  what  it  was ; 
but  they  were  all  dancing,  in  I  know  not  how  many 
barbarous  gestures  and  figures,  their  own  way,  round 
the  fire. 

While  I  was  thus  looking  on  them,  I  perceived  by 
my  perspective  two  miserable  wretches  dragged  from 
the  boats,  where,  it  seems,  they  were  laid  by,  and 
were  now  brought  out  for  the  slaughter.  I  per- 
ceived one  of  them  immediately  fell,  being  knocked 
down,  I  suppose,  with  a  club  or  wooden  sword,  for 
that  was  their  way,  and  two  or  three  others  were  at 
work  immediately,  cutting  him  open  for  their  cook- 
ery, while  the  other  victim  was  left  standing  by  him- 
self, till  they  should  be  ready  for  him.  In  that  very 
moment  this  poor  wretch  seeing  himself  a  little  at 
liberty,  Nature  inspired  him  with  hopes  of  life,  and 

[226] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

he  started  away  from  them,  and  ran  with  incredible 
swiftness  along  the  sands  directly  towards  me,  I  mean 
towards  that  part  of  the  coast  where  my  habitation 
was. 

I  was  dreadfully  frighted  (that  I  must  acknowl- 
edge) when  I  perceived  him  to  run  my  way,  and 
especially  when,  as  I  thought,  I  saw  him  pursued  by 
the  whole  body ;  and  now  I  expected  that  part  of 
my  dream  was  coming  to  pass,  and  that  he  would 
certainly  take  shelter  in  my  grove ;  but  I  could  not 
depend,  by  any  means,  upon  my  dream  for  the  rest 
of  it,  viz.,  that  the  other  savages  would  not  pursue 
him  thither,  and  find  him  there.  However,  I  kept 
my  station,  and  my  spirits  began  to  recover  when  I 
found  that  there  was  not  above  three  men  that  fol- 
lowed him  ;  and  still  more  was  I  encouraged  when  I 
found  that  he  outstripped  them  exceedingly  in  run- 
ning, and  gained  ground  of  them  ;  so  that  if  he  could 
but  hold  it  for  half-an-hour,  I  saw  easily  he  would 
fairly  get  away  from  them  all. 

There  was  between  them  and  my  castle  the  creek, 
which  I  mentioned  often  at  the  first  part  of  my  story, 
when  I  landed  my  cargoes  out  of  the  ship  ;  and  this 
I  saw  plainly  he  must  necessarily  swim  over,  or  the 
poor  wretch  would  be  taken  there.  But  when  the 
savage  escaping  came  thither  he  made  nothing  of 
it,  though  the  tide  was  then  up  ;  but  plunging  in, 
swam  through  in  about  thirty  strokes  or  thereabouts, 
landed,  and  ran  on  with  exceeding  strength  and  swift- 
ness. When  the  three  persons  came  to  the  creek,  I 
found  that  two  of  them  could  swim,  but  the  third 
could  not,  and  that,  standing  on  the  other  side,  he 
looked  at  the  other,  but  went  no  further,  and  soon 
after  went  softly  back,  which,  as  it  happened,  was 
very  well  for  him  in  the  main. 

I  observed,  that  the  two  who  swam  were  yet  more 
than  twice  as  long  swimming  over  the  creek  as  the 

[227] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

fellow  was  that  fled  from  them.  It  came  now  very 
warmly  upon  my  thoughts,  and  indeed  irresistibly, 
that  now  was  my  time  to  get  me  a  servant,  and  per- 
haps a  companion  or  assistant,  and  that  I  was  called 
plainly  by  Providence  to  save  this  poor  creature's 
.life.  I  immediately  run  down  the  ladders  with  all 
possible  expedition,  fetches  my  two  guns,  for  they 
were  both  but  at  the  foot  of  the  ladders,  as  I  ob- 
served above,  and  getting  up  again,  with  the  same 
haste,  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  I  crossed  toward  the 
sea,  and  having  a  very  short  cut,  and  all  down  hill, 
clapped  myself  in  the  way  between  the  pursuers 
and  the  pursued,  hallooing  aloud  to  him  that  fled, 
who,  looking  back,  was  at  first  perhaps  as  much 
frightened  at  me  as  at  them  ;  but  I  beckoned  with 
my  hand  to  him  to  come  back ;  and,  in  the  mean- 
time, I  slowly  advanced  towards  the  two  that  fol- 
lowed; then  rushing  at  once  upon  the  foremost,  I 
knocked  him  down  with  the  stock  of  my  piece.  I 
was  loth  to  fire,  because  I  would  not  have  the  rest 
hear;  though,  at  that  distance,  it  would  not  have 
been  easily  heard,  and  being  out  of  sight  of  the 
smoke  too,  they  would  not  have  easily  known  what 
to  make  of  it.  Having  knocked  this  fellow  down, 
the  other  who  pursued  writh  him  stopped,  as  if  he 
had  been  frighted,  and  I  advanced  apace  towards 
him ;  but  as  I  came  nearer,  I  perceived  presently  he 
had  a  bow  and  arrow,  and  was  fitting  it  to  shoot  at 
me ;  so  I  was  then  necessitated  to  shoot  at  him  first, 
which  I  did,  and  killed  him  at  the  first  shot. 

The  poor  savage  who  fled,  but  had  stopped,  though 
he  saw  both  his  enemies  fallen  and  killed,  as  he 
thought,  yet  was  so  frighted  with  the  fire  and  noise 
of  my  piece,  that  he  stood  stock-still,  and  neither 
came  forward  or  went  backward,  though  he  seemed 
rather  inclined  to  fly  still,  than  to  come  on.  I 
hallooed  again  to  him,  and  made  signs  to  come  for- 

[228] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

ward,  which  he  easily  understood,  and  came  a  little 
way,  then  stopped  again,  and  then  a  little  farther, 
and  stopped  again ;  and  I  could  then  perceive  that 
he  stood  trembling,  as  if  he  had  been  taken  prisoner, 
and  had  just  been  to  be  killed,  as  his  two  enemies 
were.  I  beckoned  him  again  to  come  to  me,  and 
gave  him  all  the  signs  of  encouragement  that  I  could 
think  of ;  and  he  came  nearer  and  nearer,  kneeling 
down  every  ten  or  twelve  steps,  in  token  of  acknowl- 
edgment for  my  saving  his  life.  I  smiled  at  him, 
and  looked  pleasantly,  and  beckoned  to  him  to  come 
still  nearer.  At  length  he  came  close  to  me,  and 
then  he  kneeled  down  again,  kissed  the  ground,  and 
laid  his  head  upon  the  ground,  and  taking  me  by 
the  foot,  set  my  foot  upon  his  head.  This,  it  seems, 
was  in  token  of  swearing  to  be  my  slave  for  ever.  I 
took  him  up,  and  made  much  of  him,  and  encouraged 
him  all  I  could.  But  there  was  more  work  to  do 
yet ;  for  I  perceived  the  savage  whom  I  knocked 
down  was  not  killed,  but  stunned  with  the  blow, 
and  began  to  come  to  himself;  so  I  pointed  to  him, 
and  showing  him  the  savage,  that  he  was  not  dead, 
upon  this  he  spoke  some  words  to  me ;  and  though  I 
could  not  understand  them,  yet  I  thought  they  were 
pleasant  to  hear ;  for  they  were  the  first  sound  of  a 
man's  voice  that  I  had  heard,  my  own  excepted,  for 
above  twenty -five  years.  But  there  was  no  time  for 
such  reflections  now.  The  savage  who  was  knocked 
down  recovered  himself  so  far  as  to  sit  up  upon  the 
ground,  and  I  perceived  that  my  savage  began  to  be 
afraid  ;  but  when  I  saw  that,  I  presented  my  other 
piece  at  the  man,  as  if  I  would  shoot  him.  Upon  this 
my  savage,  for  so  I  call  him  now,  made  a  motion 
to  me  to  lend  him  my  sword,  which  hung  naked  in  a 
belt  by  my  side ;  so  I  did.  He  no  sooner  had  it  but 
he  runs  to  his  enemy,  and,  at  one  blow,  cut  off  his 
head  as  cleverly,  no  executioner  in  Germany  could 

[229] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

have  done  it  sooner  or  better ;  which  I  thought  very 
strange  for  one  who,  I  had  reason  to  believe,  never 
saw  a  sword  in  his  life  before,  except  their  own 
wooden  swords.  However,  it  seems,  as  I  learned 
afterwards,  they  make  their  wooden  swords  so  sharp, 
so  heavy,  and  the  wood  is  so  hard,  that  they  will 
cut  off'  heads  even  with  them,  ay,  and  arms,  and  that 
at  one  blow  too.  When  he  had  done  this,  he  comes 
laughing  to  me  in  sign  of  triumph,  and  brought  me 
the  sword  again,  and  with  abundance  of  gestures, 
which  I  did  not  understand,  laid  it  down,  with  the 
head  of  the  savage  that  he  had  killed,  just  before 
me. 

But  that  which  astonished  him  most,  was  to  know 
how  I  had  killed  the  other  Indian  so  far  off;  so 
pointing  to  him,  he  made  signs  to  me  to  let  him  go 
to  him ;  so  I  bade  him  go,  as  well  as  I  could. 
When  he  came  to  him,  he  stood  like  one  amazed, 
looking  at  him,  turned  him  first  on  one  side,  then  on 
t1  other,  looked  at  the  wound  the  bullet  had  made, 
which,  it  seems,  was  just  in  his  breast,  where  it  had 
made  a  hole,  and  no  great  quantity  of  blood  had 
followed ;  but  he  had  bled  inwardly,  for  he  was  quite 
dead.  He  took  up  his  bow  and  arrows,  and  came 
back  ;  so  I  turned  to  go  away,  and  beckoned  to  him 
to  follow  me,  making  signs  to  him  that  more  might 
come  after  them. 

Upon  this  he  signed  to  me  that  he  should  bury 
them  with  sand,  that  they  might  not  be  seen  by  the 
rest  if  thev  followed  ;  and  so  I  made  signs  again  to 
him  to  do  so.  He  fell  to  work,  and  in  an  instant  he 
had  scraped  a  hole  in  the  sand  with  his  hands  big 
enough  to  bury  the  first  in,  and  then  dragged  him 
into  it,  and  covered  him,  and  did  so  also  by  the 
other.  I  believe  he  had  buried  them  both  in  a 
quarter  of  an  hour.  Then  calling  him  away,  I  car- 
ried him,  not  to  mv  castle,  but  quite  away  to  my 

[230] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

cave,  on  the  farther  part  of  the  island  ;  so  I  did  not 
let  my  dream  come  to  pass  in  that  part,  viz.,  that 
he  came  into  my  grove  for  shelter. 

Here  I  gave  him  bread  and  a  bunch  of  raisins  to 
eat,  and  a  draught  of  water,  which  I  found  he  was 
indeed  in  great  distress  for,  by  his  running ;  and 
having  refreshed  him,  I  made  signs  for  him  to  go  lie 
down  and  sleep,  pointing  to  a  place  where  I  had  laid 
a  great  parcel  of  rice-straw,  and  a  blanket  upon  it, 
which  I  used  >to  sleep  upon  myself  sometimes  ;  so  the 
poor  creature  laid  down,  and  went  to  sleep. 

He  was  a  comely,  handsome  fellow,  perfectly  well 
made,  with  straight  strong  limbs,  not  too  large,  tall, 
and  well-shaped,  and,  as  I  reckon,  about  twenty-six 
years  of  age.  He  had  a  very  good  countenance,  not 
a  fierce  and  surly  aspect,  but  seemed  to  have  some- 
thing very  manly  in  his  face ;  and  yet  he  had  all  the 
sweetness  and  softness  of  an  European  in  his  counte- 
nance too,  especially  when  he  smiled.  His  hair  was 
long  and  black,  not  curled  like  wool  ;  his  forehead 
very  high  and  large  ;  and  a  great  vivacity  and  spark- 
ling sharpness  in  his  eyes.  The  colour  of  his  skin 
was  not  quite  black,  but  very  tawny ;  and  yet  not  of 
an  ugly,  yellow,  nauseous  tawny,  as  the  Brazilians 
and  Virginians,  and  other  natives  of  America  are, 
but  of  a  bright  kind  of  a  dun  olive  colour,  that  had 
in  it  something  very  agreeable,  though  not  very  easy 
to  describe.  His  face  was  round  and  plump  ;  his 
nose  small,  not  flat  like  the  negroes  ;  a  very  good 
mouth,  thin  lips,  and  his  fine  teeth  well  set,  and 
white  as  ivory. 

After  he  had  slumbered,  rather  than  slept,  about 
half-an-hour,  he  waked  again,  and  comes  out  of  the 
cave  to  me,  for  I  had  been  milking  my  goats,  which 
I  had  in  the  enclosure  just  by.  When  he  espied  me, 
he  came  running  to  me,  laying  himself  down  again 
upon  the  ground,  with  all  the  possible  signs  of  an 

[231  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

humble,  thankful  disposition,  making  a  many  antic 
gestures  to  show  it.  At  last  he  lays  his  head  flat 
upon  the  ground,  close  to  my  foot,  and  sets  my 
other  foot  upon  his  head,  as  he  had  done  before,  and 
after  this  made  all  the  signs  to  me  of  subjection, 
servitude,  and  submission  imaginable,  to  let  me 
know  how  he  would  serve  me  as  long  as  he  lived. 
I  understood  him  in  many  things,  and  let  him  know 
I  was  very  well  pleased  with  him.  In  a  little  time  I 
began  to  speak  to  him,  and  teach  him  to  speak  to 
me ;  and,  first,  I  made  him  know  his  name  should 
be  Friday,  which  was  the  day  I  saved  his  life.  I 
called  him  so  for  the  memory  of  the  time.  I  like- 
wise taught  him  to  say  master,  and  then  let  him 
know  that  was  to  be  my  name.  I  likewise  taught 
him  to  say  Yes  and  No,  and  to  know  the  meaning 
of  them.  I  gave  him  some  milk  in  an  earthen  pot, 
and  let  him  see  me  drink  it  before  him,  and  sop  my 
bread  in  it ;  and  I  gave  him  a  cake  of  bread  to  do 
the  like,  which  he  quickly  complied  with,  and  made 
signs  that  it  was  very  good  for  him. 

I  kept  there  with  hi  in  all  that  night ;  but  as  soon 
as  it  was  day,  I  beckoned  to  him  to  come  with  me, 
and  let  him  know  I  would  give  him  some  clothes  ; 
at  which  he  seemed  very  glad,  for  he  was  stark 
naked.  As  we  went  by  the  place  where  he  had 
buried  the  two  men,  he  pointed  exactly  to  the  place, 
and  showed  me  the  marks  that  he  had  made  to  find 
them  again,  making  signs  to  me  that  we  should  dig 
them  up  again,  and  eat  them.  At  this  I  appeared 
very  angry,  expressed  my  abhorrence  of  it,  made  as 
if  I  would  vomit  at  the  thoughts  of  it,  and  beckoned 
with  my  hand  to  him  to  come  away  ;  which  he  did 
immediately,  with  great  submission.  I  then  led  him 
up  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  to  see  if  his  enemies  were 
gone ;  and  pulling  out  my  glass,  I  looked,  and  saw 
plainly  the  place  where  they  had  been,  but  no  ap- 

[232] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

pearance  of  them  or  of  their  canoes  ;  so  that  it  was 
plain  that  they  were  gone,  and  had  left  their  two 
comrades  behind  them,  without  any  search  after 
them. 

But  I  was  not  content  with  this  discovery ;  but 
having  now  more  courage,  and  consequently  more 
curiosity,  I  takes  my  man  Friday  with  me,  giving 
him  the  sword  in  his  hand,  with  the  bow  and  arrows 
at  his  back,  which  I  found  he  could  use  very  dex- 
terously, making  him  carry  one  gun  for  me,  and  I 
two  for  myself,  and  away  we  marched  to  the  place 
where  these  creatures  had  been  ;  for  I  had  a  mind 
now  to  get  some  fuller  intelligence  of  them.  When 
I  came  to  the  place,  my  very  blood  ran  chill  in  my 
veins,  and  my  heart  sunk  within  me,  at  the  horror 
of  the  spectacle.  Indeed,  it  was  a  dreadful  sight, 
at  least  it  was  so  to  me,  though  Friday  made  noth- 
ing of  it.  The  place  was  covered  with  human  bones, 
the  ground  dyed  with  their  blood,  great  pieces  of 
flesh  left  here  and  there,  half -eaten,  mangled,  and 
scorched  ;  and,  in  short,  all  the  tokens  of  the  trium- 
phant feast  they  had  been  making  there,  after  a 
victory  over  their  enemies.  I  saw  three  skulls,  five 
hands,  and  the  bones  of  three  or  four  legs  and  feet, 
and  abundance  of  other  parts  of  the  bodies ;  and 
Friday,  by  his  signs,  made  me  understand  that  they 
brought  over  four  prisoners  to  feast  upon  ;  that 
three  of  them  were  eaten  up,  and  that  he,  pointing 
to  himself,  was  the  fourth  ;  that  there  had  been  a 
great  battle  between  them  and  their  next  king, 
whose  subjects  it  seems  he  had  been  one  of,  and  that 
they  had  taken  a  great  number  of  prisoners  ;  all 
which  were  carried  to  several  places  by  those  that 
had  taken  them  in  the  fight,  in  order  to  feast  upon 
them,  as  was  done  here  by  these  wretches  upon  those 
they  brought  hither. 

I  caused  Friday  to  gather  all  the  skulls,  bones,  flesh, 

[233  J 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  whatever  remained,  and  lay  them  together  on  a 
heap,  and  make  a  great  fire  upon  it,  and  burn  them 
all  to  ashes.  I  found  Friday  had  still  a  hankering 
stomach  after  some  of  the  flesh,  and  was  still  a  canni- 
bal in  his  nature ;  but  I  discovered  so  much  abhor- 
rence at  the  very  thoughts  of  it,  and  at  the  least 
appearance  of  it,  that  he  durst  not  discover  it ;  for  I 
had,  by  some  means,  let  him  know  that  I  would  kill 
him  if  he  offered  it. 

When  we  had  done  this  we  came  back  to  our  castle, 
and  there  I  fell  to  work  for  my  man  Friday  ;  and,  first 
of  all,  I  gave  him  a  pair  of  linen  drawers,  which  I  had 
out  of  the  poor  gunnels  chest  I  mentioned,  and  which 
I  found  in  the  wreck  ;  and  which,  with  a  little  altera- 
tion, fitted  him  very  well.  Then  I  made  him  a  jer- 
kin of  goatVskin,  as  well  as  my  skill  would  allow, 
and  I  was  now  grown  a  tolerable  good  tailor  ;  and  I 
gave  him  a  cap,  which  I  had  made  of  a  hare-skin,  very 
convenient  and  fashionable  enough ;  and  thus  he  was 
clothed  for  the  present  tolerably  well,  and  was  mighty 
well  pleased  to  see  himself  almost  as  well  clothed  as 
his  master.  It  is  true  he  went  awkwardly  in  these 
things  at  first ;  wearing  the  drawers  was  very  awk- 
ward to  him,  and  the  sleeves  of  the  waistcoat  galled 
his  shoulders,  and  the  inside  of  his  arms  ;  but  a  little 
easing  them  where  he  complained  they  hurt  him,  and 
using  himself  to  them,  at  length  he  took  to  them 
very  well. 

The  next  day  after  I  came  home  to  my  hutch  with 
him,  I  began  to  consider  where  I  should  lodge  him. 
And  that  I  might  do  well  for  him,  and  yet  be  per- 
fectly easy  myself,  I  made  a  little  tent  for  him  in  the 
vacant  place  between  my  two  fortifications,  in  the 
inside  of  the  last  and  in  the  outside  of  the  first ;  and 
as  there  was  a  door  or  entrance  there  into  my  cave, 
I  made  a  formal  framed  door-case,  and  a  door  to  it 
of  boards,  and  set  it  up  in  the  passage,  a  little  within 

[234] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

the  entrance ;  and  causing  the  door  to  open  on  the 
inside,  I  barred  it  up  in  the  night,  taking  in  my 
ladders  too  ;  so  that  Friday  could  no  way  come  at 
me  in  the  inside  of  my  innermost  wall  without  mak- 
ing so  much  noise  in  getting  over,  that  it  must  needs 
waken  me  ;  for  my  first  wall  had  now  a  complete  roof 
over  it  of  long  poles,  covering  all  my  tent,  and  lean- 
ing up  to  the  side  of  the  hill,  which  was  again  laid 
cross  with  smaller  sticks  instead  of  laths,  and  then 
thatched  over  a  great  thickness  with  the  rice-straw, 
which  was  strong,  like  reeds  ;  and  at  the  hole  or  place 
which  was  left  to  go  in  or  out  by  the  ladder,  I  had 
placed  a  kind  of  trap-door,  which,  if  it  had  been 
attempted  on  the  outside,  would  not  have  opened  at 
all,  but  would  have  fallen  down,  and  made  a  great 
noise ;  and  as  to  weapons,  I  took  them  all  into  my 
side  every  night. 

But  I  needed  none  of  all  this  precaution  ;  for  never 
man  had  a  more  faithful,  loving,  sincere  servant  than 
Friday  was  to  me ;  without  passions,  sullenness,  or 
designs,  perfectly  obliged  and  engaged;  his  very 
affections  were  tied  to  me,  like  those  of  a  child  to  a 
father ;  and  I  dare  say  he  would  have  sacrificed  his 
life  for  the  saving  mine,  upon  any  occasion  whatso- 
ever. The  many  testimonies  he  gave  me  of  this  put 
it  out  of  doubt,  and  soon  convinced  me  that  I  needed 
to  use  no  precautions  as  to  my  safety  on  his  account. 

This  frequently  gave  me  occasion  to  observe,  and 
that  with  wonder,  that  however  it  had  pleased  God, 
in  His  providence,  and  in  the  government  of  the  works 
of  His  hands,  to  take  from  so  great  a  part  of  the 
world  of  His  creatures  the  best  uses  to  which  their 
faculties  and  the  powers  of  their  souls  are  adapted, 
yet  that  He  has  bestowed  upon  them  the  same  powers, 
the  same  reason,  the  same  affections,  the  same  senti- 
ments of  kindness  and  obligation,  the  same  passions 
and  resentments  of  wrongs,  the  same  sense  of  grati- 

[235  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

tude,  sincerity,  fidelity,  and  all  the  capacities  of  doing 
good,  and  receiving  good,  that  He  has  given  to  us ; 
and  that  when  He  pleases  to  offer  to  them  occasions 
of  exerting  these,  they  are  as  ready,  nay,  more  ready, 
to  apply  them  to  the  right  uses  for  which  they  were 
bestowed  than  we  are.  And  this  made  me  very 
melancholy  sometimes,  in  reflecting,  as  the  several 
occasions  presented,  how  mean  a  use  we  make  of  all 
these,  even  though  we  have  these  powers  enlightened 
by  the  great  lamp  of  instruction,  the  Spirit  of  God, 
and  by  the  knowledge  of  His  Word  added  to  our 
understanding  ;  and  why  it  has  pleased  God  to  hide 
the  like  saving  knowledge  from  so  many  millions  of 
souls,  who,  if  I  might  judge  by  this  poor  savage, 
would  make  a  much  better  use  of  it  than  we  did. 

From  hence,  I  sometimes  was  led  too  far  to  invade 
the  sovereignty  of  Providence,  and  as  it  were  arraign 
the  justice  of  so  arbitrary  a  disposition  of  things, 
that  should  hide  that  light  from  some,  and  reveal  it 
to  others,  and  yet  expect  a  like  duty  from  both.  But 
I  shut  it  up,  and  checked  my  thoughts  with  this  con- 
clusion :  first,  that  we  did  not  know  by  what  light 
and  law  these  should  be  condemned  ;  but  that  as  God 
was  necessarily,  and,  by  the  nature  of  His  being,  in- 
finitely holy  and  just,  so  it  could  not  be  but  that  if 
these  creatures  were  all  sentenced  to  absence  from 
Himself,  it  was  on  account  of  sinning  against  that 
light,  which,  as  the  Scripture  says,  was  a  law  to  them- 
selves, and  by  such  rules  as  their  consciences  would 
acknowledge  to  be  just,  though  the  foundation  was 
not  discovered  to  us  ;  and,  second,  that  still,  as  we  are 
all  the  clay  in  the  hand  of  the  potter,  no  vessel  could 
say  to  Him,  "  Why  hast  Thou  formed  me  thus  ?  " 

But  to  return  to  my  new  companion.  I  was  greatly 
delighted  with  him,  and  made  it  my  business  to  teach 
him  everything  that  was  proper  to  make  him  useful, 
handy,   and   helpful ;    but    especially   to   make   him 

[236] 


ROBINSON  CRUSOE  AND  HIS  MAN   FRIDAY 


Never  man  had  a  more  faithful,  loving  sim  vant 

titan  frridait  teas  to  vie 


^ut 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

speak,  and  understand  me  when  I  spake.  And  he 
was  the  aptest  scholar  that  ever  was ;  and  particu- 
larly was  so  merry,  so  constantly  diligent,  and  so 
pleased  when  he  could  but  understand  me,  or  make 
me  understand  him,  that  it  was  very  pleasant  to  me 
to  talk  to  him.  And  now  my  life  began  to  be  so 
easy,  that  I  began  to  say  to  myself,  that  could  I  but 
have  been  safe  from  more  savages,  I  cared  not  if  I 
was  never  to  remove  from  the  place  while  I  lived. 

After  I  had  been  two  or  three  days  returned  to  my 
castle,  I  thought  that,  in  order  to  bring  Friday  off 
from  his  horrid  way  of  feeding,  and  from  the  relish 
of  a  cannibal's  stomach,  I  ought  to  let  him  taste 
other  flesh ;  so  I  took  him  out  with  me  one  morning 
to  the  woods.  I  went,  indeed,  intending  to  kill  a  kid 
out  of  my  own  flock,  and  bring  him  home  and  dress 
it ;  but  as  I  was  going,  I  saw  a  she-goat  lying  down 
in  the  shade,  and  two  young  kids  sitting  by  her.  I 
catched  hold  of  Friday.  "  Hold,"  says  I,  "  stand 
still,"  and  made  signs  to  him  not  to  stir.  Immedi- 
ately I  presented  my  piece,  shot  and  killed  one  of 
the  kids.  The  poor  creature,  who  had,  at  a  distance 
indeed,  seen  me  kill  the  savage,  his  enemy,  but  did 
not  know,  or  could  imagine,  how  it  was  done,  was 
sensibly  surprised,  trembled  and  shook,  and  looked 
so  amazed,  that  I  thought  he  would  have  sunk  down. 
He  did  not  see  the  kid  I  had  shot  at,  or  perceive  I 
had  killed  it,  but  ripped  up  his  waistcoat  to  feel 
if  he  was  not  wounded ;  and,  as  I  found  presently, 
thought  I  was  resolved  to  kill  him  ;  for  he  came  and 
kneeled  down  to  me,  and  embracing  my  knees,  said 
a  great  many  things  I  did  not  understand ;  but  I 
could  easily  see  that  the  meaning  was  to  pray  me  not 
to  kill  him. 

I  soon  found  a  way  to  convince  him  that  I  would 
do  him  no  harm ;  and  taking  him  up  by  the  hand, 
laughed  at  him,  and  pointing  to  the  kid  which  I  had 

[237] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

killed,  beckoned  to  him  to  run  and  fetch  it,  which 
he  did  ;  and  while  he  was  wondering,  and  looking 
to  see  how  the  creature  was  killed,  I  loaded  my  gun 
again  ;  and  by-and-by  I  saw  a  great  fowl,  like  a 
hawk,  sit  upon  a  tree,  within  shot ;  so,  to  let  Friday 
understand  a  little  what  I  would  do,  I  called  him  to 
me  again,  pointing  at  the  fowl,  which  was  indeed 
a  parrot,  though  I  thought  it  had  been  a  hawk  ;  I 
say,  pointing  to  the  parrot,  and  to  my  gun,  and  to 
the  ground  under  the  parrot,  to  let  him  see  I  would 
make  it  fall,  I  made  him  understand  that  I  would 
shoot  and  kill  that  bird.  Accordingly  I  fired,  and 
bade  him  look,  and  immediately  he  saw  the  parrot 
fall.  He  stood  like  one  frighted  again,  notwith- 
standing all  I  had  said  to  him  ;  and  I  found  he  was 
the  more  amazed,  because  he  did  not  see  me  put 
anything  into  the  gun,  but  thought  that  there  must 
be  some  wonderful  fund  of  death  and  destruction  in 
that  thing,  able  to  kill  man,  beast,  bird,  or  any- 
thing near  or  far  off;  and  the  astonishment  this 
created  in  him  was  such  as  could  not  wear  off  for  a 
long  time  ;  and  I  believe,  if  I  would  have  let  him, 
he  would  have  worshipped  me  and  my  gun.  As  for 
the  gun  itself,  he  would  not  so  much  as  touch  it  for 
several  days  after ;  but  would  speak  to  it,  and  talk 
to  it,  as  if  it  had  answered  him,  when  he  was  by 
himself;  which,  as  I  afterwards  learned  of  him,  was 
to  desire  it  not  to  kill  him. 

Well,  after  his  astonishment  was  a  little  over  at 
this,  I  pointed  to  him  to  run  and  fetch  the  bird  I 
had  shot,  which  he  did,  but  stayed  some  time ;  for 
the  parrot,  not  being  quite  dead,  was  fluttered  a 
good  way  off  from  the  place  where  she  fell.  How- 
ever, he  found  her,  took  her  up,  and  brought  her  to 
me  ;  and  as  I  had  perceived  his  ignorance  about  the 
gun  before,  I  took  this  advantage  to  charge  the  gun 
again,  and  not  let  him  see  me  do  it,  that  I  might 

[238] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

be  ready  for  any  other  mark  that  might  present. 
But  nothing  more  offered  at  that  time  ;  so  I  brought 
home  the  kid,  and  the  same  evening  I  took  the  skin 
off,  and  cut  it  out  as  well  as  I  could ;  and  having 
a  pot  for  that  purpose,  I  boiled  or  stewed  some  of 
the  flesh,  and  made  some  very  good  broth  ;  and 
after  I  had  begun  to  eat  some,  I  gave  some  to  my 
man,  who  seemed  very  glad  of  it,  and  liked  it  very 
well ;  but  that  which  was  strangest  to  him,  was  to 
see  me  eat  salt  with  it.  He  made  a  sign  to  me  that 
the  salt  was  not  good  to  eat,  and  putting  a  little 
into  his  own  mouth,  he  seemed  to  nauseate  it,  and 
would  spit  and  sputter  at  it,  washing  his  mouth 
with  fresh  water  after  it.  On  the  other  hand,  I 
took  some  meat  in  my  mouth  without  salt,  and  I 
pretended  to  spit  and  sputter  for  want  of  salt,  as 
fast  as  he  had  done  at  the  salt.  But  it  would  not 
do ;  he  would  never  care  for  salt  with  his  meat  or  in 
his  broth ;  at  least,  not  a  great  while,  and  then  but 
a  very  little. 

Having  thus  fed  him  with  boiled  meat  and  broth, 
I  was  resolved  to  feast  him  the  next  day  with  roast- 
ing a  piece  of  the  kid.  This  I  did  by  hanging  it 
before  the  fire  in  a  string,  as  I  had  seen  many  people 
do  in  England,  setting  two  poles  up,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  fire,  and  one  cross  on  the  top,  and  tying 
the  string  to  the  cross  stick,  letting  the  meat  turn 
continually.  This  Friday  admired  very  much.  But 
when  he  came  to  taste  the  flesh,  he  took  so  many 
ways  to  tell  me  how  well  he  liked  it,  that  I  could 
not  but  understand  him  ;  and  at  last  he  told  me  he 
would  never  eat  man's  flesh  any  more,  which  I  was 
very  glad  to  hear. 

The  next  day  I  set  him  to  work  to  beating  some 
corn  out,  and  sifting  it  in  the  manner  I  used  to  do, 
as  I  observed  before ;  and  he  soon  understood  how 
to  do  it  as  well  as  I,  especially  after  he  had  seen 

[  239  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

what  the  meaning  of  it  was,  and  that  it  was  to  make 
bread  of ;  for  after  that  I  let  him  see  me  make  my 
bread,  and  bake  it  too  ;  and  in  a  little  time  Friday 
was  able  to  do  all  the  work  for  me,  as  well  as  I  could 
do  it  myself. 

I  began  now  to  consider  that,  having  two  mouths 
to  feed  instead  of  one,  I  must  provide  more  ground 
for  my  harvest,  and  plant  a  larger  quantity  of  corn 
than  I  used  to  do  ;  so  I  marked  out  a  larger  piece 
of  land,  and  began  the  fence  in  the  same  manner  as 
before,  in  which  Friday  not  on]y  worked  very  will- 
ingly and  very  hard,  but  did  it  very  cheerfully  ;  and 
I  told  him  what  it  was  for  ;  that  it  was  for  corn  to 
make  more  bread,  because  he  was  now  with  me,  and 
that  I  might  have  enough  for  him  and  myself  too. 
He  appeared  very  sensible  of  that  part,  and  let  me 
know  that  he  thought  I  had  much  more  labour  upon 
me  on  his  account,  than  I  had  for  myself;  and  that 
he  would  work  the  harder  for  me,  if  I  would  tell  him 
what  to  do. 

This  was  the  pleasantest  year  of  all  the  life  I  led 
in  this  place.  Friday  began  to  talk  pretty  well,  and 
understand  the  names  of  almost  everything  I  had 
occasion  to  call  for,  and  of  every  place  I  had  to  send 
him  to,  and  talk  a  great  deal  to  me  ;  so  that,  in 
short,  I  began  now  to  have  some  use  for  my  tongue 
again,  which,  indeed,  I  had  very  little  occasion  for 
before,  that  is  to  say,  about  speech.  Besides  the 
pleasure  of  talking  to  him,  I  had  a  singular  satisfac- 
tion in  the  fellow  himself.  His  simple,  unfeigned 
honesty  appeared  to  me  more  and  more  every  day, 
and  I  began  really  to  love  the  creature ;  and,  on  his 
side,  I  believe  he  loved  me  more  than  it  was  possible 
for  him  ever  to  love  anything  before. 

I  had  a  mind  once  to  try  if  he  had  any  hankering 
inclination  to  his  own  country  again  ;  and  having 
learned  him  English  so  well  that   he  could  answer 

[240] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

me  almost  any  questions,  I  asked  him  whether  the 
nation  that  he  belonged  to  never  conquered  in  bat- 
tle ?  At  which  he  smiled,  and  said,  "  Yes,  yes,  we 
always  fight  the  better ; *  that  is,  he  meant,  always 
get  the  better  in  fight ;  and  so  we  began  the  follow- 
ing discourse  :  "  You  always  fight  the  better,"  said 
I.  "  How  came  you  to  be  taken  prisoner  then, 
Friday  ?" 

Friday.    My  nation  beat  much  for  all  that. 

Master.  How  beat  ?  If  your  nation  beat  them, 
how  came  you  to  be  taken  ? 

Friday.  They  more  many  than  my  nation  in  the 
place  where  me  was  ;  they  take  one,  two,  three,  and 
me.  My  nation  overheat  them  in  the  yonder  place, 
where  me  no  was  ;  there  my  nation  take  one,  two, 
great  thousand. 

Master.  But  why  did  not  your  side  recover  you 
from  the  hands  of  your  enemies  then  ? 

Friday.  They  run  one,  two,  three,  and  me,  and 
make  go  in  the  canoe ;  my  nation  have  no  canoe 
that  time. 

Master.  Well,  Friday,  and  what  does  your  nation 
do  with  the  men  they  take  ?  Do  they  carry  them 
away  and  eat  them,  as  these  did  ? 

Friday.  Yes,  my  nation  eat  mans  too ;  eat  all 
up. 

Master.    Where  do  they  carry  them  ? 

Friday.    Go  to  other  place,  where  they  think. 

Master.    Do  they  come  hither  ? 

Friday.  Yes,  yes,  they  come  hither  ;  come  other 
else  place. 

Master.    Have  you  been  here  with  them  ? 

Friday.  Yes,  I  been  here.  (Points  to  the  JV.  W. 
side  of  the  island,  which,  it  seems,  was  their  side.) 

By  this  I  understood  that  my  man  Friday  had 
formerly  been  among  the  savages  who  used  to  come 
on  shore  on  the  farther  part  of  the  island,  on  the 
VOL.  i.  — 16  [  241  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

same  man-eating  occasions  that  he  was  now  brought 
for ;  and,  some  time  after,  when  I  took  the  courage 
to  carry  him  to  that  side,  being  the  same  I  formerly 
mentioned,  he  presently  knew  the  place,  and  told  me 
he  was  there  once  when  they  eat  up  twenty  men,  two 
women,  and  one  child.  He  could  not  tell  twenty  in 
English,  but  he  numbered  them  by  laying  so  many 
stones  on  a  row,  and  pointing  to  me  to  tell  them 
over. 

I  have  told  this  passage,  because  it  introduces 
what  follows ;  that  after  I  had  had  this  discourse 
with  him,  I  asked  him  how  far  it  was  from  our  island 
to  the  shore,  and  whether  the  canoes  were  not  often 
lost.  He  told  me  there  was  no  danger,  no  canoes 
ever  lost ;  but  that,  after  a  little  way  out  to  the  sea, 
there  was  a  current  and  a  wind,  always  one  way  in 
the  morning,  the  other  in  the  afternoon. 

This  I  understood  to  be  no  more  than  the  sets  of 
the  tide,  as  going  out  or  coming  in  ;  but  I  afterwards 
understood  it  was  occasioned  by  the  great  draught 
and  reflux  of  the  mighty  river  Oroonoko,  in  the 
mouth  or  the  gulf  of  which  river,  as  I  found  after- 
wards, our  island  lay ;  and  this  land  which  I  per- 
ceived to  the  W.  and  NW.  was  the  great  island 
Trinidad,  on  the  north  point  of  the  mouth  of  the 
river.  I  asked  Friday  a  thousand  questions  about 
the  country,  the  inhabitants,  the  sea,  the  coast,  and 
what  nation  were  near.  He  told  me  all  he  knew, 
with  the  greatest  openness  imaginable.  I  asked  him 
the  names  of  the  several  nations  of  his  sort  of  peo- 
ple, but  could  get  no  other  name  than  Caribs ;  from 
whence  I  easily  understood  that  these  were  the  Car- 
ibbees,  which  our  maps  place  on  the  part  of  America 
which  reaches  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  Oroonoko 
to  Guiana,  and  onwards  to  St.  Martha.  He  told  me 
that  up  a  great  way  beyond  the  moon,  that  was,  be- 
yond the  setting  of  the  moon,  which  must  be  W.  from 

[242] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

their  country,  there  dwelt  white-bearded  men,  like  me, 
and  pointed  to  my  great  whiskers,  which  I  mentioned 
before ;  and  that  they  had  killed  much  mans,  that 
was  his  word ;  by  all  which  I  understood  he  meant 
the  Spaniards,  whose  cruelties  in  America  had  been 
spread  over  the  whole  countries,  and  was  remembered 
by  all  the  nations  from  father  to  son. 

I  inquired  if  he  could  tell  me  how  I  might  come 
from  this  island  and  get  among  those  white  men. 
He  told  me,  "  Yes,  yes,  I  might  go  in  two  canoe."  I 
could  not  understand  what  he  meant,  or  make  him 
describe  to  me  what  he  meant  by  two  canoe ;  till  at 
last,  with  great  difficulty,  I  found  he  meant  it  must 
be  in  a  large  great  boat,  as  big  as  two  canoes. 

This  part  of  Friday's  discourse  began  to  relish  with 
me  very  well ;  and  from  this  time  I  entertained  some 
hopes  that,  one  time  or  other,  I  might  find  an  oppor- 
tunity to  make  my  escape  from  this  place,  and  that 
this  poor  savage  might  be  a  means  to  help  me  to 
do  it. 

During  the  long  time  that  Friday  had  now  been 
with  me,  and  that  he  began  to  speak  to  me,  and  un- 
derstand me,  I  was  not  wanting  to  lay  a  foundation 
of  religious  knowledge  in  his  mind;  particularly  I 
asked  him  one  time,  Who  made  him  ?  The  poor 
creature  did  not  understand  me  at  all,  but  thought 
I  had  asked  who  was  his  father.  But  I  took  it  by 
another  handle,  and  asked  him  who  made  the  sea, 
the  ground  we  walked  on,  and  the  hills  and  woods  ? 
He  told  me  it  was  one  old  Benamuckee,  that  lived 
beyond  all.  He  could  describe  nothing  of  this  great 
person,  but  that  he  wras  very  old,  much  older,  he  said, 
than  the  sea  or  the  land,  than  the  moon  or  the  stars. 
I  asked  him  then,  if  this  old  person  had  made  all 
things,  why  did  not  all  things  worship  him  ?  He 
looked  very  grave,  and  with  a  perfect  look  of  inno- 
cence said,  4<  All  things  do  say  0  to  him,11     I  asked 

[243] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

him  if  the  people  who  die  in  his  country  went  away 
anywhere  ?  He  said,  "  Yes,  they  all  went  to  Bena- 
muckee." Then  I  asked  him  whether  these  they  eat 
up  went  thither  too  ?     He  said  "  Yes." 

From  these  things  I  began  to  instruct  him  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  true  God.  I  told  him  that  the 
great  Maker  of  all  things  lived  up  there,  pointing  up 
towards  heaven  ;  that  He  governs  the  world  by  the 
same  power  and  providence  by  which  He  had  made 
it ;  that  He  was  omnipotent,  could  do  everything  for 
us,  give  everything  to  us,  take  everything  from  us  ; 
and  thus,  by  degrees,  I  opened  his  eyes.  He  listened 
with  great  attention,  and  received  with  pleasure  the 
notion  of  Jesus  Christ  being  sent  to  redeem  us,  and  of 
the  manner  of  making  our  prayers  to  God,  and  His 
being  able  to  hear  us,  even  into  heaven.  He  told  me 
one  day  that  if  our  God  could  hear  us  up  beyond  the 
sun,  He  must  needs  be  a  greater  God  than  their 
Benamuckee,  who  lived  but  a  little  way  off,  and  yet 
could  not  hear  till  they  went  up  to  the  great  moun- 
tains where  he  dwelt  to  speak  to  him.  I  asked  him  if 
he  ever  went  thither  to  speak  to  him  ?  He  said,  No  ; 
they  never  went  that  were  young  men  ;  none  went 
thither  but  the  old  men,  whom  he  called  their  Oowo- 
kakee,  that  is,  as  I  made  him  explain  it  to  me,  their 
religious,  or  clergy  ;  and  that  they  went  to  say  O  (so 
he  called  saying  prayers),  and  then  came  back,  and 
told  them  what  Benamuckee  said.  By  this  I  ob- 
served that  there  is  priestcraft  even  amongst  the  most 
blinded,  ignorant  pagans  in  the  world  ;  and  the  policy 
of  making  a  secret  religion  in  order  to  preserve  the 
veneration  of  the  people  to  the  clergy  is  not  only  to  be 
found  in  the  Roman,  but  perhaps  among  all  religions 
in  the  world,  even  among  the  most  brutish  and  bar- 
barous savages. 

I  endeavoured  to  clear  up  this  fraud  to  my  man 
Friday,  and  told  him  that  the  pretence  of  their  old 

[244] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

men  going  up  to  the  mountains  to  say  O  to  their  god 
Benamuckee  was  a  cheat,  and  their  bringing  word 
from  thence  what  he  said  was  much  more  so ;  that  if 
they  met  with  any  answer,  or  spoke  with  any  one 
there,  it  must  be  with  an  evil  spirit  ;  and  then  I  en- 
tered into  a  long  discourse  with  him  about  the  devil, 
the  original  of  him,  his  rebellion  against  God,  his 
enmity  to  man,  the  reason  of  it,  his  setting  himself 
up  in  the  dark  parts  of  the  world  to  be  worshipped 
instead  of  God,  and  as  God,  and  the  many  stratagems 
he  made  use  of  to  delude  mankind  to  their  ruin  ;  how 
he  had  a  secret  access  to  our  passions  and  to  our 
affections,  to  adapt  his  snares  so  to  our  inclinations, 
as  to  cause  us  even  to  be  our  own  tempters,  and  to 
run  upon  our  destruction  by  our  own  choice. 

I  found  it  was  not  so  easy  to  imprint  right  notions 
in  his  mind  about  the  devil,  as  it  was  about  the  being 
of  a  God.  Nature  assisted  all  my  arguments  to  evi- 
dence to  him  even  the  necessity  of  a  great  First  Cause 
and  overruling,  governing  Power,  a  secret  directing 
Providence,  and  of  the  equity  and  justice  of  paying 
homage  to  Him  that  made  us,  and  the  like.  But 
there  appeared  nothing  of  all  this  in  the  notion  of  an 
evil  spirit ;  of  his  original,  his  being,  his  nature,  and 
above  all,  of  his  inclination  to  do  evil,  and  to  draw 
us  in  to  do  so  too ;  and  the  poor  creature  puzzled  me 
once  in  such  a  manner  by  a  question  merely  natural 
and  innocent,  that  I  scarce  knew  what  to  say  to  him. 
I  had  been  talking  a  great  deal  to  him  of  the  power 
of  God,  His  omnipotence,  His  dreadful  aversion  to 
sin,  His  being  a  consuming  fire  to  the  workers  of 
iniquity ;  how,  as  He  had  made  us  all,  He  could 
destroy  us  and  all  the  world  in  a  moment ;  and  he 
listened  with  great  seriousness  to  me  all  the  while. 

After  this  I  had  been  telling  him  how  the  devil 
was  God's  enemy  in  the  hearts  of  men,  and  used  all 
his  malice  and  skill  to  defeat  the  good  designs  of 

[  245  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

Providence,  and  to  ruin  the  kingdom  of  Christ  in  the 
world,  and  the  like.  "  Well,11  says  Friday,  "  but  you 
say  God  is  so  strong,  so  great  ;  is  He  not  much 
strong,  much  might  as  the  devil  ?  "  "  Yes,  yes," 
says  I,  "  Friday,  God  is  stronger  than  the  devil ;  God 
is  above  the  devil,  and  therefore  we  pray  to  God  to 
tread  him  down  under  our  feet,  and  enable  us  to 
resist  his  temptations,  and  quench  his  fiery  darts.11 
"  But,11  says  he  again,  "  if  God  much  strong,  much 
might  as  the  devil,  why  God  no  kill  the  devil,  so 
make  him  no  more  do  wicked  ? " 

I  was  strangely  surprised  at  his  question ;  and 
after  all,  though  I  was  now  an  old  man,  yet  I  was 
but  a  young  doctor,  and  ill  enough  qualified  for  a 
casuist,  or  a  solver  of  difficulties  ;  and  at  first  I  could 
not  tell  what  to  say  ;  so  I  pretended  not  to  hear  him, 
and  asked  him  what  he  said  ?  But  he  was  too  earn- 
est for  an  answer  to  forget  his  question,  so  that  he 
repeated  it  in  the  very  same  broken  words  as  above. 
By  this  time  I  had  recovered  myself  a  little,  and  I 
said,  "  God  will  at  last  punish  him  severely  ;  he  is 
reserved  for  the  judgment,  and  is  to  be  cast  into  the 
bottomless  pit,  to  dwell  with  everlasting  fire.11  This 
did  not  satisfy  Friday;  but  he  returns  upon  me, 
repeating  my  words,  "  Reserve  at  last !  me  no  under- 
stand ;  but  why  not  kill  the  devil  now  ?  not  kill 
great  ago  ? "  "  You  may  as  well  ask  me,11  said  I, 
"  why  God  does  not  kill  you  and  I,  when  we  do 
wicked  things  here  that  offend  Him  ;  we  are  pre- 
served to  repent  and  be  pardoned.11  He  muses  awhile 
at  this.  "  Well,  well,11  says  he,  mighty  affection- 
ately, "  that  well ;  so  you,  I,  devil,  all  wicked,  all 
preserve,  repent,  God  pardon  all.11  Here  I  was  run 
down  again  by  him  to  the  last  degree,  and  it  was  a 
testimony  to  me  how  the  mere  notions  of  nature, 
though  they  will  guide  reasonable  creatures  to  the 
knowledge  of  a  God,  and  of  a  worship  or  homage 

[  246  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

due  to  the  supreme  being  of  God,  as  the  consequence 
of  our  nature,  yet  nothing  but  Divine  revelation  can 
form  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  a  redemp- 
tion purchased  for  us,  of  a  Mediator  of  the  new 
covenant,  and  of  an  Intercessor  at  the  footstool  of 
God's  throne ;  I  say,  nothing  but  a  revelation  from 
heaven  can  form  these  in  the  soul,  and  that  therefore 
the  Gospel  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  I 
mean  the  Word  of  God,  and  the  Spirit  of  God, 
promised  for  the  guide  and  sanctifier  of  His  people, 
are  the  absolutely  necessary  instructors  of  the  souls 
of  men  in  the  saving  knowledge  of  God,  and  the 
means  of  salvation. 

I  therefore  diverted  the  present  discourse  between 
me  and  my  man,  rising  up  hastily,  as  upon  some 
sudden  occasion  of  going  out ;  then  sending  him  for 
something  a  good  way  off,  I  seriously  prayed  to  God 
that  He  would  enable  me  to  instruct  savingly  this 
poor  savage,  assisting,  by  His  Spirit,  the  heart  of 
the  poor  ignorant  creature  to  receive  the  light  of  the 
knowledge  of  God  in  Christ,  reconciling  him  to  Him- 
self, and  would  guide  me  to  speak  so  to  him  from 
the  Word  of  God  as  his  conscience  might  be  con- 
vinced, his  eyes  opened,  and  his  soul  saved.  When 
he  came  again  to  me,  I  entered  into  a  long  discourse 
with  him  upon  the  subject  of  the  redemption  of  man 
by  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  and  of  the  doctrine  of 
the  Gospel  preached  from  heaven,  viz.,  of  repentance 
towards  God,  and  faith  in  our  blessed  Lord  Jesus. 
I  then  explained  to  him  as  well  as  I  could  why 
our  blessed  Redeemer  took  not  on  Him  the  nature 
of  angels,  but  the  seed  of  Abraham  ;  and  how,  for 
that  reason,  the  fallen  angels  had  no  share  in  the 
redemption  ;  that  He  came  only  to  the  lost  sheep 
of  the  house  of  Israel,  and  the  like. 

I  had,  God  knows,  more  sincerity  than  knowledge 
in  all  the  methods  I  took  for  this  poor   creature's 

[247] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

instruction,  and  must  acknowledge,  what  I  believe 
all  that  act  upon  the  same  principle  will  find,  that 
in  laying  things  open  to  him,  I  really  informed  and 
instructed  myself  in  many  things  that  either  I  did 
not  know,  or  had  not  fully  considered  before,  but 
which  occurred  naturally  to  my  mind  upon  my 
searching  into  them  for  the  information  of  this 
poor  savage.  And  I  had  more  affection  in  my  in- 
quiry after  things  upon  this  occasion  than  ever  I 
felt  before  ;  so  that  whether  this  poor  wild  wretch 
was  the  better  for  me  or  no,  I  had  great  reason  to 
be  thankful  that  ever  he  came  to  me.  My  grief  set 
lighter  upon  me,  my  habitation  grew  comfortable 
to  me  beyond  measure  ;  and  when  I  reflected,  that 
in  this  solitary  life  which  I  had  been  confined  to, 
I  had  not  only  been  moved  myself  to  look  up  to 
heaven,  and  to  seek  to  the  Hand  that  had  brought 
me  there,  but  was  now  to  be  made  an  instrument, 
under  Providence,  to  save  the  life,  and,  for  aught  I 
know,  the  soul  of  a  poor  savage,  and  bring  him  to 
the  true  knowledge  of  religion,  and  of  the  Christian 
doctrine,  that  he  might  know  Christ  Jesus,  to  know 
whom  is  life  eternal ;  —  I  say,  when  I  reflected  upon 
all  these  things,  a  secret  joy  run  through  every  part 
of  my  soul,  and  I  frequently  rejoiced  that  ever  I 
was  brought  to  this  place,  which  I  had  so  often 
thought  the  most  dreadful  of  all  afflictions  that 
could  possibly  have  befallen  me. 

In  this  thankful  frame  I  continued  all  the  remain- 
der of  my  time,  and  the  conversation  which  em- 
ployed the  hours  between  Friday  and  I  was  such,  as 
made  the  three  years  which  we  lived  there  together 
perfectly  and  completely  happy,  if  any  such  thing 
as  complete  happiness  can  be  formed  in  a  sublunary 
state.  The  savage  was  now  a  good  Christian,  a 
much  better  than  I ;  though  I  have  reason  to  hope, 
and  bless  God  for  it,  that  we  were  equally  penitent, 

[248] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  comforted,  restored  penitents.  We  had  here  the 
Word  of  God  to  read,  and  no  farther  off  from  His 
Spirit  to  instruct  than  if  we  had  been  in  England. 

I  always  applied  myself  to  reading  the  Scripture, 
to  let  him  know,  as  well  as  I  could,  the  meaning  of 
what  I  read ;  and  he  again,  by  his  serious  inquiries 
and  questions,  made  me,  as  I  said  before,  a  much 
better  scholar  in  the  Scripture-knowledge  than  I 
should  ever  have  been  by  my  own  private  mere 
reading.  Another  thing  I  cannot  refrain  from  ob- 
serving here  also,  from  experience  in  this  retired 
part  of  my  life,  viz.,  how  infinite  and  inexpressible 
a  blessing  it  is  that  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  of 
the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  Christ  Jesus,  is  so 
plainly  laid  down  in  the  Word  of  God,  so  easy  to 
be  received  and  understood  ;  that  as  the  bare  read- 
ing the  Scripture  made  me  capable  of  understanding 
enough  of  my  duty  to  carry  me  directly  on  to  the 
great  work  of  sincere  repentance  for  my  sins,  and 
laying  hold  of  a  Saviour  for  life  and  salvation,  to 
a  stated  reformation  in  practice,  and  obedience  to 
all  God's  commands,  and  this  without  any  teacher 
or  instructor  (I  mean  human) ;  so  the  same  plain 
instruction  sufficiently  served  to  the  enlightening 
this  savage  creature,  and  bringing  him  to  be  such 
a  Christian,  as  I  have  known  few  equal  to  him  in 
my  life. 

As  to  all  the  disputes,  wranglings,  strife,  and  con- 
tention which  has  happened  in  the  world  about 
religion,  whether  niceties  in  doctrines,  or  schemes  of 
Church  government,  they  were  all  perfectly  useless 
to  us ;  as,  for  aught  I  can  yet  see,  they  have  been  to 
all  the  rest  in  the  world.  We  had  the  sure  guide 
to  heaven,  viz.,  the  Word  of  God  ;  and  we  had, 
blessed  be  God,  comfortable  views  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  teaching  and  instructing  us  by  His  Word, 
leading  us  into  all  truth,  and  making  us  both  will- 

[249] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

ing  and  obedient  to  the  instruction  of  His  Word ; 
and  I  cannot  see  the  least  use  that  the  greatest 
knowledge  of  the  disputed  points  in  religion,  which 
have  made  such  confusions  in  the  world,  would  have 
been  to  us  if  we  could  have  obtained  it.  But  I 
must  go  on  with  the  historical  part  of  things,  and 
take  every  part  in  its  order. 

After  Friday  and  I  became  more  intimately  ac- 
quainted, and  that  he  could  understand  almost  all  I 
said  to  him,  and  speak  fluently,  though  in  broken 
English,  to  me,  I  acquainted  him  with  my  own  story, 
or  at  least  so  much  of  it  as  related  to  my  coming  into 
the  place ;  how  I  had  lived  there,  and  how  long.  I 
let  him  into  the  mystery,  for  such  it  was  to  him,  of 
gunpowder  and  bullet,  and  taught  him  how  to  shoot ; 
I  gave  him  a  knife,  which  he  was  wonderfully  de- 
lighted with,  and  I  made  him  a  belt,  with  a  frog 
hanging  to  it,  such  as  in  England  we  wear  hangers 
in  ;  and  in  the  frog,  instead  of  a  hanger,  I  gave  him 
a  hatchet,  which  was  not  only  as  good  a  weapon, 
in  some  cases,  but  much  more  useful  upon  other 
occasions. 

I  described  to  him  the  country  of  Europe,  and 
particularly  England,  which  I  came  from  ;  how  we 
lived,  how  we  worshipped  God,  how  we  behaved  to 
one  another,  and  how  we  traded  in  ships  to  all  parts 
of  the  world.  I  gave  him  an  account  of  the  wreck 
which  I  had  been  on  board  of,  and  showed  him,  as 
near  as  I  could,  the  place  where  she  lay  ;  but  she  was 
all  beaten  in  pieces  before,  and  gone. 

I  showed  him  the  ruins  of  our  boat,  which  we  lost 
when  we  escaped,  and  which  I  could  not  stir  with  my 
whole  strength  then,  but  was  now  fallen  almost  all  to 
pieces.  Upon  seeing  this  boat,  Friday  stood  musing 
a  great  while,  and  said  nothing.  I  asked  him  what 
it  was  he  studied  upon.  At  last  says  he,  "  Me  see 
such  boat  like  come  to  place  at  my  nation."" 

[250  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

I  did  not  understand  him  a  good  while  ;  but  at 
last,  when  I  had  examined  further  into  it,  I  under- 
stood by  him  that  a  boat  such  as  that  had  been, 
came  on  shore  upon  the  country  where  he  lived ;  that 
is,  as  he  explained  it,  was  driven  thither  by  stress  of 
weather.  I  presently  imagined  that  some  European 
ship  must  have  been  cast  away  upon  their  coast,  and 
the  boat  might  get  loose  and  drive  ashore  ;  but  was 
so  dull,  that  I  never  once  thought  of  men  making 
escape  from  a  wreck  thither,  much  less  whence  they 
might  come  ;  so  I  only  inquired  after  a  description 
of  the  boat. 

Friday  described  the  boat  to  me  well  enough ;  but 
brought  me  better  to  understand  him  when  he  added 
with  some  warmth,  "  We  save  the  white  mans  from 
drown.r>  Then  I  presently  asked  him  if  there  was 
any  white  mans,  as  he  called  them,  in  the  boat. 
"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  the  boat  full  of  white  mans."  I 
asked  him  how  many.  He  told  upon  his  fingers 
seventeen.  I  asked  him  then  what  became  of  them. 
He  told  me,  "  They  live,  they  dwell  at  my  nation." 

This  put  new  thoughts  into  my  head ;  for  I  pres- 
ently imagined  that  these  might  be  the  men  belong- 
ing to  the  ship  that  was  cast  away  in  sight  of  my 
island,  as  I  now  call  it ;  and  who,  after  the  ship 
was  struck  on  the  rock,  and  they  saw  her  inevitably 
lost,  had  saved  themselves  in  their  boat,  and  were 
landed  upon  that  wild  shore  among  the  savages. 

Upon  this  I  inquired  of  him  more  critically  what 
was  become  of  them.  He  assured  me  they  lived  still 
there ;  that  they  had  been  there  about  four  years  ; 
that  the  savages  let  them  alone,  and  gave  them 
victuals  to  live.  I  asked  him  how  it  came  to  pass 
they  did  not  kill  them,  and  eat  them.  He  said, 
"  No,  they  make  brother  with  them  ; "  that  is,  as  I 
understood  him,  a  truce  ;  and  then  he  added,  "  They 
no  eat  mans  but  when  make  the  war  fight ; "  that  is 

[  251  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  say,  they  never  eat  any  men  but  such  as  come  to 
fight  with  them  and  are  taken  in  battle. 

It  was  after  this  some  considerable  time,  that  be- 
ing on  the  top  of  the  hill,  at  the  east  side  of  the 
island  (from  whence,  as  I  have  said,  I  had  in  a  clear 
day  discovered  the  main  or  continent  of  America), 
Friday,  the  weather  being  very  serene,  looks  very 
earnestly  towards  the  mainland,  and,  in  a  kind  of 
surprise,  falls  a-jumping  and  dancing,  and  calls  out 
to  me,  for  I  was  at  some  distance  from  him.  I  asked 
him  what  was  the  matter  ?  "  O  joy  !  "  says  he,  "  O 
glad  !  there  see  my  country,  there  my  nation  !  " 

I  observed  an  extraordinary  sense  of  pleasure  ap- 
peared in  his  face,  and  his  eyes  sparkled,  and  his  coun- 
tenance discovered  a  strange  eagerness,  as  if  he  had  a 
mind  to  be  in  his  own  country  again ;  and  this  ob- 
servation of  mine  put  a  great  many  thoughts  into 
me,  which  made  me  at  first  not  so  easy  about  my 
new  man  Friday  as  I  was  before ;  and  I  made  no 
doubt  but  that  if  Friday  could  get  back  to  his  own 
nation  again,  he  would  not  only  forget  all  his  reli- 
gion, but  all  his  obligation  to  me  ;  and  would  be  for- 
ward enough  to  give  his  countrymen  an  account  of 
me,  and  come  back  perhaps  with  a  hundred  or  two  of 
them,  and  make  a  feast  upon  me,  at  which  he  might 
be  as  merry  as  he  used  to  be  with  those  of  his  ene- 
mies, when  they  were  taken  in  war. 

But  I  wronged  the  poor  honest  creature  very  much, 
for  which  I  was  very  sorry  afterwards.  However,  as 
my  jealousy  increased,  and  held  me  some  weeks,  I 
was  a  little  more  circumspect,  and  not  so  familiar 
and  kind  to  him  as  before ;  in  which  I  was  certainly 
in  the  wrong  too,  the  honest,  grateful  creature  hav- 
ing no  thought  about  it  but  what  consisted  with  the 
best  principles,  both  as  a  religious  Christian  and  as 
a  grateful  friend,  as  appeared  afterwards  to  my  full 
satisfaction. 

[252] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

While  my  jealousy  of  him  lasted,  you  may  be  sure 
I  was  every  day  pumping  him,  to  see  if  he  would 
discover  any  of  the  new  thoughts  which  I  suspected 
were  in  him  ;  but  I  found  everything  he  said  was  so 
honest  and  so  innocent,  that  I  could  find  nothing 
to  nourish  my  suspicion  ;  and,  in  spite  of  all  my 
uneasiness,  he  made  me  at  last  entirely  his  own 
again,  nor  did  he  in  the  least  perceive  that  I  was 
uneasy,  and  therefore  I  could  not  suspect  him  of 
deceit. 

One  day,  walking  up  the  same  hill,  but  the  weather 
being  hazy  at  sea,  so  that  we  could  not  see  the  con- 
tinent, I  called  to  him,  and  said,  "Friday,  do  not 
you  wish  yourself  in  your  own  country,  your  own 
nation  ? "  "  Yes,"  he  said,  "  I  be  much  O  glad  to 
be  at  my  own  nation."  "  What  would  you  do 
there  ?  "  said  I.  "  Would  you  turn  wild  again,  eat 
men's  flesh  again,  and  be  a  savage  as  you  were  be- 
fore ?  "  He  looked  full  of  concern,  and  shaking  his 
head  said,  "  No,  no  ;  Friday  tell  them  to  live  good  ; 
tell  them  to  pray  God ;  tell  them  to  eat  corn-bread, 
cattle-flesh,  milk,  no  eat  man  again."'"'  "  Why  then," 
said  I  to  him,  "  they  will  kill  you."  He  looked  grave 
at  that,  and  then  said,  "  No,  they  no  kill  me,  they 
willing  love  learn."  He  meant  by  this  they  would 
be  willing  to  learn.  He  added,  they  learned  much 
of  the  bearded  mans  that  come  in  the  boat.  Then  I 
asked  him  if  he  would  go  back  to  them  ?  He  smiled 
at  that,  and  told  me  he  could  not  swim  so  far.  I 
told  him  I  would  make  a  canoe  for  him.  He  told 
me  he  would  go,  if  I  would  go  with  him.  "  I  go !  " 
says  I ;  "  why,  they  will  eat  me  if  I  come  there." 
"  No,  no,"  says  he,  "  me  make  they  no  eat  you  ;  me 
make  they  much  love  you."  He  meant,  he  would 
tell  them  how  I  had  killed  his  enemies,  and  saved 
his  life,  and  so  he  would  make  them  love  me.  Then 
he  told  me,  as  well  as  he  could,  how  kind  they  were 

[253] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  seventeen  white  men,  or  bearded  men,  as  he  called 
them,  who  came  on  shore  there  in  distress. 

From  this  time  I  confess  I  had  a  mind  to  venture 
over,  and  see  if  I  could  possibly  join  with  these 
bearded  men,  who,  I  made  no  doubt,  were  Spaniards 
or  Portuguese  ;  not  doubting  but,  if  I  could,  we 
might  find  some  method  to  escape  from  thence,  being 
upon  the  continent,  and  a  good  company  together, 
better  than  I  could  from  an  island  forty  miles  off  the 
shore,  and  alone,  without  help.  So,  after  some  days, 
I  took  Friday  to  work  again,  by  way  of  discourse, 
and  told  him  I  would  give  him  a  boat  to  go  back  to 
his  own  nation  ;  and  accordingly  I  carried  him  to  my 
frigate,  which  lay  on  the  other  side  of  the  island,  and 
having  cleared  it  of  water,  for  I  always  kept  it  sunk 
in  the  water,  I  brought  it  out,  showed  it  him,  and  we 
both  went  into  it. 

I  found  he  was  a  most  dexterous  fellow  at  manag- 
ing it,  would  make  it  go  almost  as  swift  and  fast 
again  as  I  could.  So  when  he  was  in  I  said  to  him, 
"Well  now,  Friday,  shall  we  go  to  your* nation  ?" 
He  looked  very  dull  at  my  saying  so,  which,  it  seems, 
was  because  he  thought  the  boat  too  small  to  go  so 
far.  I  told  him  then  I  had  a  bigger  ;  so  the  next 
day  I  went  to  the  place  where  the  first  boat  lay  which 
I  had  made,  but  which  I  could  not  get  into  water. 
He  said  that  was  big  enough ;  but  then,  as  I  had 
taken  no  care  of  it,  and  it  had  lain  two  or  three  and 
twenty  years  there,  the  sun  had  split  and  dried  it, 
that  it  was  in  a  manner  rotten.  Friday  told  me  such 
a  boat  would  do  very  well,  and  would  carry  "  much 
enough  victual,  drink,  bread ; "  that  was  his  way  of 
talking. 

Upon  the  whole,  I  was  by  this  time  so  fixed  upon 
my  design  of  going  over  with  him  to  the  continent, 
that  I  told  him  we  would  go  and  make  one  as  big  as 
that,  and  he  should  so  home  in  it.     He  answered  not 

[  254  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

one  word,  but  looked  very  grave  and  sad.  I  asked 
him  what  was  the  matter  with  him  ?  He  asked  me 
again  thus,  "  Why  you  angry  mad  with  Friday  ?  what 
me  done  ?  "  I  asked  him  what  he  meant.  I  told  him 
I  was  not  angry  with  him  at  all.  "  No  angry !  no 
angry ! "  says  he,  repeating  the  words  several  times. 
"  Why  send  Friday  home  away  to  my  nation  ? " 
"  Why,"  says  I,  "  Friday,  did  you  not  say  you  wished 
you  were  there  ?  "  "  Yes,  yes,"  says  he,  "  wish  be  both 
there,  no  wish  Friday  there,  no  master  there."  In  a 
word,  he  would  not  think  of  going  there  without  me. 
"  I  go  there,  Friday  !  "  says  I ;  "  what  shall  I  do 
there?"  He  turned  very  quick  upon  me  at  this: 
"  You  do  great  deal  much  good,"  says  he  ;  "  you  teach 
wild  mans  to  be  good,  sober,  tame  mans ;  you  tell 
them  know  God,  pray  God,  and  live  new  life." 
"  Alas  !  Friday,"  says  I,  "  thou  knowest  not  what 
thou  sayest.  I  am  but  an  ignorant  man  myself." 
"Yes,  yes,"  says  he,  "you  teachee  me  good,  you  teachee 
them  good."  "  No,  no,  Friday,"  says  I,  "  you  shall 
go  without  me ;  leave  me  here  to  live  by  myself,  as  I 
did  before."  He  looked  confused  again  at  that  word, 
and  running  to  one  of  the  hatchets  which  he  used  to 
wear,  he  takes  it  up  hastily,  comes  and  gives  it  me. 
"  What  must  I  do  with  this  ?  "  says  I  to  him.  "  You 
take  kill  Friday,"  says  he.  "  What  must  I  kill  you 
for  ?  "  said  I  again.  He  returns  very  quick,  "  What 
you  send  Friday  away  for  ?  Take  kill  Friday,  no 
send  Friday  away."  This  he  spoke  so  earnestly, 
that  I  saw  tears  stand  in  his  eyes.  In  a  word,  I  so 
plainly  discovered  the  utmost  affection  in  him  to  me, 
and  a  firm  resolution  in  him,  that  I  told  him  then, 
and  often  after,  that  I  would  never  send  him  away 
from  me  if  he  was  willing  to  stay  with  me. 

Upon  the  whole,  as  I  found  by  all  his  discourse  a 
settled  affection  to  me,  and  that  nothing  should  part 
him  from  me,  so  I  found  all  the  foundation  of  his 

[255  ] 


ROBINSOiN    CRUSOE 

desire  to  go  to  his  own  country  was  laid  in  his  ardent 
affection  to  the  people,  and  his  hopes  of  my  doing 
them  good ;  a  thing  which,  as  I  had  no  notion  of 
myself,  so  I  had  not  the  least  thought  or  intention 
or  desire  of  undertaking  it.  But  still  I  found  a 
strong  inclination  to  my  attempting  an  escape,  as 
above,  founded  on  the  supposition  gathered  from  the 
discourse,  viz.,  that  there  were  seventeen  bearded 
men  there  ;  and,  therefore,  without  any  more  delay 
I  went  to  work  with  Friday  to  find  out  a  great  tree 
proper  to  fell,  and  make  a  large  periagua^  or  canoe, 
to  undertake  the  voyage.  There  were  trees  enough 
in  the  island  to  have  built  a  little  fleet,  not  of  peri- 
aguas  and  canoes,  but  even  of  good  large  vessels. 
But  the  main  thing  I  looked  at  was,  to  get  one  so 
near  the  water  that  we  might  launch  it  when  it  was 
made,  to  avoid  the  mistake  I  committed  at  first. 

At  last  Friday  pitched  upon  a  tree,  for  I  found  he 
knew  much  better  than  I  what  kind  of  wood  was 
fittest  for  it  ;  nor  can  I  tell,  to  this  day,  what  wood 
to  call  the  tree  we  cut  down,  except  that  it  was  very 
like  the  tree  we  call  fustic,  or  between  that  and  the 
Nicaragua  wood,  for  it  was  much  of  the  same  colour 
and  smell.  Friday  was  for  burning  the  hollow  or 
cavity  of  this  tree  out,  to  make  it  for  a  boat,  but  I 
showed  him  how  rather  to  cut  it  out  with  tools  ; 
which,  after  I  had  showed  him  how  to  use,  he  did 
very  handily ;  and  in  about  a  month's  hard  labour 
we  finished  it,  and  made  it  very  handsome ;  especially 
when,  with  our  axes,  which  I  showed  him  howr  to 
handle,  we  cut  and  hewed  the  outside  into  the  true 
shape  of  a  boat.  After  this,  however,  it  cost  us  near 
a  fortnight's  time  to  get  her  along,  as  it  were  inch 
by  inch,  upon  great  rollers  into  the  water ;  but  when 
she  was  in,  she  would  have  carried  twenty  men  with 
great  ease. 

When  she  was  in  the  water,  and  though  she  was 

[256] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

so  big,  it  amazed  me  to  see  with  what  dexterity,  and 
how  swift  my  man  Friday  would  manage  her,  turn 
her,  and  paddle  her  along.  So  I  asked  him  if  he 
would,  and  if  we  might  venture  over  in  her.  "  Yes," 
he  said,  "  he  venture  over  in  her  very  well,  though 
great  blow  wind."  However,  I  had  a  farther  design 
that  he  knew  nothing  of,  and  that  was  to  make  a 
mast  and  sail,  and  to  fit  her  with  an  anchor  and 
cable.  As  to  a  mast,  that  was  easy  enough  to  get ; 
so  I  pitched  upon  a  straight  young  cedar  tree,  which 
I  found  near  the  place,  and  which  there  was  great 
plenty  of  in  the  island  ;  and  I  set  Friday  to  work  to 
cut  it  down,  and  gave  him  directions  how  to  shape 
and  order  it.  But  as  to  the  sail,  that  was  my  par- 
ticular care.  I  knew  I  had  old  sails,  or  rather  pieces 
of  old  sails  enough  ;  but  as  I  had  had  them  now 
twenty-six  years  by  me,  and  had  not  been  very  care- 
ful to  preserve  them,  not  imagining  that  I  should 
ever  have  this  kind  of  use  for  them,  I  did  not  doubt 
but  they  were  all  rotten,  and,  indeed,  most  of  them 
were  so.  However,  I  found  two  pieces  which  ap- 
peared pretty  good,  and  with  these  I  went  to  work, 
and  with  a  great  deal  of  pains,  and  awkward  tedious 
stitching  (you  may  be  sure)  for  want  of  needles,  I,  at 
length,  made  a  three-cornered  ugly  thing,  like  what 
we  call  in  England  a  shoulder-of-mutton  sail,  to  go 
with  a  boom  at  bottom,  and  a  little  short  sprit  at 
the  top,  such  as  usually  our  ships1  longboats  sail 
with,  and  such  as  I  best  knew  how  to  manage  ;  be- 
cause it  was  such  a  one  as  I  had  to  the  boat  in  which 
I  made  my  escape  from  Barbary,  as  related  in  the 
first  part  of  my  story. 

I  was  near  two  months  performing  this  last  work, 
viz.,  rigging  and  fitting  my  mast  and  sails ;  for  I 
finished  them  very  complete,  making  a  small  stay, 
and  a  sail,  or  foresail,  to  it,  to  assist,  if  we  should 
turn  to  windward ;  and,  which  was  more  than  all,  I 
VOL.  i.  — 17  [  257  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

fixed  a  rudder  to  the  stern  of  her  to  steer  with  ;  and 
though  I  was  but  a  bungling  shipwright,  yet  as  I 
knew  the  usefulness,  and  even  necessity,  of  such  a 
thing,  I  applied  myself  with  so  much  pains  to  do  it, 
that  at  last  I  brought  it  to  pass ;  though,  consider- 
ing the  many  dull  contrivances  I  had  for  it  that 
failed,  I  think  it  cost  me  almost  as  much  labour  as 
making  the  boat. 

After  all  this  was  done  too,  I  had  my  man  Friday 
to  teach  as  to  what  belonged  to  the  navigation  of 
my  boat ;  for  though  he  knew  very  well  how  to  pad- 
dle a  canoe,  he  knew  nothing  what  belonged  to  a  sail 
and  a  rudder  ;  and  was  the  most  amazed  when  he 
saw  me  work  the  boat  to  and  again  in  the  sea  by  the 
rudder,  and  how  the  sail  jibbed,  and  filled  this  way, 
or  that  way,  as  the  course  we  sailed  changed  ;  I  say, 
when  he  saw  this,  he  stood  like  one  astonished  and 
amazed.  However,  with  a  little  use  I  made  all  these 
things  familiar  to  him,  and  he  became  an  expert 
sailor,  except  that  as  to  the  compass  I  could  make 
him  understand  very  little  of  that.  On  the  other 
hand,  as  there  was  very  little  cloudy  weather,  and 
seldom  or  never  any  fogs  in  those  parts,  there  was 
the  less  occasion  for  a  compass,  seeing  the  stars  were 
always  to  be  seen  by  night,  and  the  shore  by  day, 
except  in  the  rainy  seasons,  and  then  nobody  cared 
to  stir  abroad,  either  by  land  or  sea. 

I  was  now  entered  on  the  seven  and  twentieth 
year  of  my  captivity  in  this  place ;  though  the  three 
last  years  that  I  had  this  creature  with  me  ought 
rather  to  be  left  out  of  the  account,  my  habitation 
being  quite  of  another  kind  than  in  all  the  rest  of 
the  time.  I  kept  the  anniversary  of  my  landing 
here  with  the  same  thankfulness  to  God  for  His 
mercies  as  at  first ;  and  if  I  had  such  cause  of  ac- 
knowledgment at  first,  I  had  much  more  so  now, 
having   such  additional  testimonies  of  the  care  of 

[258] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

Providence  over  me,  and  the  great  hopes  I  had  of 
being  effectually  and  speedily  delivered ;  for  I  had 
an  invincible  impression  upon  my  thoughts  that  my 
deliverance  was  at  hand,  and  that  I  should  not  be 
another  year  in  this  place.  However,  I  went  on 
with  my  husbandry,  digging,  planting,  fencing,  as 
usual.  I  gathered  and  cured  my  grapes,  and  did 
every  necessary  thing  as  before. 

The  rainy  season  was,  in  the  meantime,  upon  me, 
when  I  kept  more  within  doors  than  at  other  times  ; 
so  I  had  stowed  our  new  vessel  as  secure  as  we 
could,  bringing  her  up  into  the  creek,  where,  as  I  said 
in  the  beginning,  I  landed  my  rafts  from  the  ship  ; 
and  hauling  her  up  to  the  shore  at  high- water  mark, 
I  made  my  man  Friday  dig  a  little  dock,  just  big 
enough  to  hold  her,  and  just  deep  enough  to  give  her 
water  enough  to  float  in  ;  and  then,  when  the  tide 
was  out,  we  made  a  strong  dam  across  the  end  of  it, 
to  keep  the  water  out  ;  and  so  she  lay  dry,  as  to  the 
tide,  from  the  sea  ;  and  to  keep  the  rain  off,  we  laid 
a  great  many  boughs  of  trees,  so  thick,  that  she  was 
as  well  thatched  as  a  house  ;  and  thus  we  waited  for 
the  month  of  November  and  December,  in  which  I 
designed  to  make  my  adventure. 

When  the  settled  season  began  to  come  in,  as  the 
thought  of  my  design  returned  with  the  fair  weather, 
I  was  preparing  daily  for  the  voyage  ;  and  the  first 
thing  I  did  was  to  lay  by  a  certain  quantity  of  pro- 
visions, being  the  stores  for  our  voyage ;  and  in- 
tended, in  a  week  or  a  fortnight's  time,  to  open  the 
dock,  and  launch  out  our  boat.  I  was  busy  one 
morning  upon  something  of  this  kind,  when  I  called 
to  Friday,  and  bid  him  go  to  the  sea-shore  and  see  if  he 
could  find  a  turtle,  or  tortoise,  a  thing  which  we 
generally  got  once  a  week,  for  the  sake  of  the  eggs 
as  well  as  the  flesh.  Friday  had  not  been  long  gone 
when  he  came  running  back,  and  flew  over  my  outer 

[259  1 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

wall,  or  fence,  like  one  that  felt  not  the  ground,  or 
the  steps  he  set  his  feet  on  ;  and  before  I  had  time 
to  speak  to  him,  he  cries  out  to  me,  "  O  master  ! 

0  master  !  O  sorrow  !  O  bad  !  "  "  What 's  the 
matter,  Friday  ?  "  says  I.  "  O  yonder,  there,"  says 
he,  "  one,  two,  three  canoe  !  one,  two,  three  !  "  By 
his  way  of  speaking,  I  concluded  there  were  six  ;  but, 
on  inquiry,  I  found  it  was  but  three.  "Well,  Fri- 
day," says  I,  "  do  not  be  frighted."  So  I  heartened 
him  up  as  well  as  I  could.  However,  I  saw  the  poor 
fellow  was  most  terribly  scared  ;  for  nothing  ran  in 
his  head  but  that  they  were  come  to  look  for  him, 
and  would  cut  him  in  pieces,  and  eat  him  ;  and 
the  poor  fellow  trembled  so,  that  I  scarce  knew  what 
to  do  with  him.  I  comforted  him  as  well  as  I  could, 
and  told  him  I  was  in  as  much  danger  as  he,  and 
that  they  would  eat  me  as  well  as  him.  "  But," 
says  I,  "  Friday,  we  must  resolve  to  fight  them. 
Can  you  fight,  Friday  ? "  "  Me  shoot,"  says  he  ; 
"  but  there  come  many  great  number."  "  No  mat- 
ter for  that,"  said  I  again  ;  "  our  guns  will  fright 
them  that  we  do  not  kill."  So  I  asked  him  whether, 
if  I  resolved  to  defend  him,  he  would  defend  me, 
and  stand  by  me,  and  do  just  as  I  bid  him.  He 
said,  u  Me  die  when  you  bid  die,  master."  So  I  went 
and  fetched  a  good  dram  of  rum,  and  gave  him  ;  for 

1  had  been  so  good  a  husband  of  my  rum,  that  I  had  a 
great  deal  left.  When  he  had  drank  it,  I  made  him 
take  the  two  fowling-pieces,  which  we  always  carried, 
and  load  them  with  large  swan-shot,  as  big  as  small 
pistol-bullets.  Then  I  took  four  muskets,  and  loaded 
them  with  two  slugs  and  five  small  bullets  each ; 
and  my  two  pistols  I  loaded  with  a  brace  of  bullets 
each.  I  hung  my  great  sword,  as  usual,  naked  by 
my  side,  and  gave  Friday  his  hatchet. 

When   I  had    thus  prepared   myself,  I   took  my 
perspective  glass,  and  went  up  to  the  side  of  the  hill 

[  260  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  see  what  I  could  discover;  and  I  found  quickly,  by 
my  glass,  that  there  were  one  and  twenty  savages, 
three  prisoners,  and  three  canoes,  and  that  their 
whole  business  seemed  to  be  the  triumphant  banquet 
upon  these  three  human  bodies  ;  a  barbarous  feast 
indeed,  but  nothing  more  than,  as  I  had  observed, 
was  usual  with  them. 

I  observed  also  that  they  were  landed,  not  where 
they  had  done  when  Friday  made  his  escape,  but 
nearer  to  my  creek,  where  the  shore  was  low,  and 
where  a  thick  wood  came  close  almost  down  to  the 
sea.  This,  with  the  abhorrence  of  the  inhuman 
errand  these  wretches  came  about,  filled  me  with 
such  indignation,  that  I  came  down  again  to  Friday, 
and  told  him  I  was  resolved  to  go  down  to  them, 
and  kill  them  all,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  stand 
by  me.  He  was  now  gotten  over  his  fright,  and  his 
spirits  being  a  little  raised  with  the  dram  I  had  given 
him,  he  was  very  cheerful,  and  told  me,  as  before,  he 
would  die  when  I  bid  die. 

In  this  fit  of  fury,  I  took  first  and  divided  the  arms 
which  I  had  charged,  as  before,  between  us.  I  gave 
Friday  one  pistol  to  stick  in  his  girdle,  and  three 
guns  upon  his  shoulder  ;  and  I  took  one  pistol,  and 
the  other  three  myself,  and  in  this  posture  we  marched 
out.  I  took  a  small  bottle  of  rum  in  my  pocket,  and 
gave  Friday  a  large  bag  with  more  powder  and 
bullet ;  and  as  to  orders,  I  charged  him  to  keep  close 
behind  me,  and  not  to  stir,  or  shoot,  or  do  anything, 
till  I  bid  him,  and  in  the  meantime  not  to  speak  a 
word.  In  this  posture  I  fetched  a  compass  to  my 
right  hand  of  near  a  mile,  as  well  to  get  over  the 
creek  as  to  get  into  the  wood,  so  that  I  might  come 
within  shot  of  them  before  I  should  be  discovered, 
which  I  had  seen,  by  my  glass,  it  was  easy  to  do. 

While  I  was  making  this  march,  my  former 
thoughts  returning,  I  began  to  abate  my  resolution. 

[261  J 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

I  do  not  mean  that  I  entertained  any  fear  of  their 
number  ;  for  as  they  were  naked,  unarmed  wretches, 
't  is  certain  I  was  superior  to  them  ;  nay,  though  I 
had  been  alone.  But  it  occurred  to  my  thoughts 
what  call,  what  occasion,  much  less  what  necessity,  I 
was  in  to  go  and  dip  my  hands  in  blood,  to  attack 
people  who  had  neither  done  or  intended  me  any 
wrong ;  who,  as  to  me,  were  innocent,  and  whose 
barbarous  customs  were  their  own  disaster  ;  being  in 
them  a  token  indeed  of  God's  having  left  them,  with 
the  other  nations  of  that  part  of  the  world,  to  such 
stupidity,  and  to  such  inhuman  courses  ;  but  did  not 
call  me  to  take  upon  me  to  be  a  judge  of  their 
actions,  much  less  an  executioner  of  His  justice  ; 
that  whenever  He  thought  fit,  He  would  take  the 
cause  into  His  own  hands,  and  by  national  vengeance, 
punish  them,  as  a  people,  for  national  crimes  ;  but 
that,  in  the  meantime,  it  was  none  of  my  business  ; 
that,  it  was  true,  Friday  might  justify  it,  because  he 
was  a  declared  enemy,  and  in  a  state  of  war  with 
those  very  particular  people,  and  it  was  lawful  for 
him  to  attack  them  ;  but  I  could  not  say  the  same 
with  respect  to  me.  These  things  were  so  warmly 
pressed  upon  my  thoughts  all  the  way  as  I  went, 
that  I  resolved  I  would  only  go  and  place  myself 
near  them,  that  I  might  observe  their  barbarous 
feast,  and  that  I  would  act  then  as  God  should 
direct ;  but  that,  unless  something  offered  that  was 
more  a  call  to  me  than  yet  I  knew  of,  I  would  not 
meddle  with  them. 

With  this  resolution  I  entered  the  wood,  and 
with  all  possible  wariness  and  silence,  Friday  follow- 
ing close  at  my  heels,  I  marched  till  I  came  to  the 
skirt  of  the  wood,  on  the  side  which  was  next  to 
them  ;  only  that  one  corner  of  the  wood  lay  between 
me  and  them.  Here  I  called  softly  to  Friday,  and 
showing  him  a  great  tree,  which  was  just  at   the 

[262] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

corner  of  the  wood,  I  bade  him  go  to  the  tree  and 
bring  me  word  if  he  could  see  there  plainly  what  they 
were  doing.  He  did  so,  and  came  immediately  back 
to  me,  and  told  me  they  might  be  plainly  viewed 
there  ;  that  they  were  all  about  their  fire,  eating  the 
flesh  of  one  of  their  prisoners,  and  that  another  lay 
bound  upon  the  sand,  a  little  from  them,  which,  he 
said,  they  would  kill  next  ;  and,  which  fired  all  the 
very  soul  within  me,  he  told  me  it  was  not  one  of 
their  nation,  but  one  of  the  bearded  men,  whom  he 
had  told  me  of,  that  came  to  their  country  in  the 
boat.  I  was  'filled  with  horror  at  the  very  naming 
the  white,  bearded  man  ;  and  going  to  the  tree,  I  saw 
plainly,  by  my  glass,  a  white  man,  who  lay  upon  the 
beach  of  the  sea,  with  his  hands  and  his  feet  tied 
with  flags,  or  things  like  rushes,  and  that  he  was  an 
European,  and  had  clothes  on. 

There  was  another  tree,  and  a  little  thicket  beyond 
it,  about  fifty  yards  nearer  to  them  than  the  place 
where  I  was,  which,  by  going  a  little  way  about,  I 
saw  I  might  come  at  undiscovered,  and  that  then  I 
should  be  within  half  shot  of  them ;  so  I  withheld 
my  passion,  though  I  was  indeed  enraged  to  the 
highest  degree  ;  and  going  back  about  twenty  paces, 
I  got  behind  some  bushes,  which  held  all  the  way  till 
I  came  to  the  other  tree  ;  and  then  I  came  to  a  little 
rising  ground,  which  gave  me  a  full  view  of  them,  at 
the  distance  of  about  eighty  yards. 

I  had  now  not  a  moment  to  lose,  for  nineteen  of 
the  dreadful  wretches  sat  upon  the  ground,  all  close 
huddled  together,  and  had  just  sent  the  other  two  to 
butcher  the  poor  Christian,  and  bring  him,  perhaps 
limb  by  limb,  to  their  fire  ;  and  they  were  stooped 
down  to  untie  the  bands  at  his  feet.  I  turned  to 
Friday  :  "  Now,  Friday ,"  said  I,  "  do  as  I  bid  thee." 
Friday  said  he  would.  "  Then,  Friday,"  says  I,  "  do 
exactly  as  you  see  me  do  ;  fail  in  nothing.''''     So  I  set 

[263] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

down  one  of  the  muskets  and  the  fowling-piece  upon 
the  ground,  and  Friday  did  the  like  by  his  ;  and  with 
the  other  musket  I  took  my  aim  at  the  savages, 
bidding  him  do  the  like.  Then  asking  him  if  he  was 
ready,  he  said,  "  Yes."  "  Then  fire  at  them,,,  said 
I ;  and  the  same  moment  I  fired  also. 

Friday  took  his  aim  so  much  better  than  I,  that 
on  the  side  that  he  shot  he  killed  two  of  them,  and 
wounded  three  more  ;  and  on  my  side  I  killed  one, 
and  wounded  two.  They  were,  you  may  be  sure,  in 
a  dreadful  consternation  ;  and  all  of  them  who  were 
not  hurt  jumped  up  upon  their  feet,  but  did  not  im- 
mediately know  which  way  to  run,  or  which  way  to 
look,  for  they  knew  not  from  whence  their  destruc- 
tion came.  Friday  kept  his  eyes  close  upon  me, 
that,  as  I  had  bid  him,  he  might  observe  what  I 
did ;  so  as  soon  as  the  first  shot  was  made  I  threw 
down  the  piece,  and  took  up  the  fowling-piece,  and 
Friday  did  the  like.  He  sees  me  cock  and  present ; 
he  did  the  same  again.  "  Are  you  ready,  Friday  ?  " 
said  I.  "  Yes,"  says  he.  "  Let  fly,  then,"  says  I,  "  in 
the  name  of  God ! "  and  with  that  I  fired  again 
among  the  amazed  wretches,  and  so  did  Friday ; 
and  as  our  pieces  were  now  loaded  with  what  I 
called  swan-shot,  or  small  pistol-bullets,  we  found 
only  two  drop,  but  so  many  were  wounded,  that  they 
ran  about  yelling  and  screaming  like  mad  creatures, 
all  bloody,  and  miserably  wounded  most  of  them ; 
whereof  three  more  fell  quickly  after,  though  not 
quite  dead. 

"  Now,  Friday,"  says  I,  laying  down  the  discharged 
pieces,  and  taking  up  the  musket  which  was  yet 
loaded,  "follow  me,"  says  I,  which  he  did  with  a 
great  deal  of  courage ;  upon  which  I  rushed  out  of 
the  wood,  and  showed  myself,  and  Friday  close  at 
my  foot.  As  soon  as  I  perceived  they  saw  me,  I 
shouted  as  loud  as  I  could,  and  bade  Friday  do  so 

[264] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

too  ;  and  running  as  fast  as  I  could,  which,  by  the 
way,  was  not  very  fast,  being  loaded  with  arms  as  I 
was,  I  made  directly  towards  the  poor  victim,  who 
was,  as  I  said,  lying  upon  the  beach,  or  shore,  be- 
tween the  place  where  they  sat  and  the  sea.  The 
two  butchers,  who  were  just  going  to  work  with  him, 
had  left  him  at  the  surprise  of  our  first  fire,  and  fled 
in  a  terrible  fright  to  the  seaside,  and  had  jumped 
into  a  canoe,  and  three  more  of  the  rest  made  the 
same  way.  I  turned  to  Friday,  and  bid  him  step 
forwards  and  fire  at  them.  He  understood  me  im- 
mediately, and  running  about  forty  yards,  to  be  near 
them,  he  shot  at  them,  and  I  thought  he  had  killed 
them  all,  for  I  saw  them  all  fall  of  a  heap  into  the 
boat ;  though  I  saw  two  of  them  up  again  quickly. 
However,  he  killed  two  of  them,  and  wounded  the 
third,  so  that  he  lay  down  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat 
as  if  he  had  been  dead. 

While  my  man  Friday  fired  at  them,  I  pulled  out 
my  knife  and  cut  the  flags  that  bound  the  poor  vic- 
tim ;  and  loosing  his  hands  and  feet,  I  lifted  him  up, 
and  asked  him  in  the  Portuguese  tongue  what  he 
was.  He  answered  in  Latin,  Christianus ;  but  was 
so  weak  and  faint,  that  he  could  scarce  stand  or 
speak.  I  took  my  bottle  out  of  my  pocket  and  gave 
it  him,  making  signs  that  he  should  drink,  which  he 
did ;  and  I  gave  him  a  piece  of  bread,  which  he  eat. 
Then  I  asked  him  what  countryman  he  was ;  and  he 
said,  Espagniole ;  and  being  a  little  recovered,  let 
me  know,  by  all  the  signs  he  could  possibly  make, 
how  much  he  wras  in  my  debt  for  his  deliverance. 
"  Seignior,"  said  I,  with  as  much  Spanish  as  I  could 
make  up,  "  we  will  talk  afterwards,  but  we  must  fight 
now.  If  you  have  any  strength  left,  take  this  pistol 
and  sword,  and  lay  about  you.'"  He  took  them  very 
thankfully,  and  no  sooner  had  he  the  arms  in  his 
hands  but,  as  if  they  had  put  new  vigour  into  him, 

[265] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE] 

he  flew  upon  his  murderers  like  a  fury,  and  had  cut 
two  of  them  in  pieces  in  an  instant ;  for  the  truth 
is,  as  the  whole  was  a  surprise  to  them,  so  the  poor 
creatures  were  so  much  frighted  with  the  noise  of 
our  pieces,  that  they  fell  down  for  mere  amazement 
and  fear,  and  had  no  more  power  to  attempt  their 
own  escape,  than  their  flesh  had  to  resist  our  shot ; 
and  that  was  the  case  of  those  five  that  Friday  shot 
at  in  the  boat ;  for  as  three  of  them  fell  with  the 
hurt  they  received,  so  the  other  two  fell  with  the 
fright. 

I  kept  my  piece  in  my  hand  still  without  firing, 
being  willing  to  keep  my  charge  ready,  because  I 
had  given  the  Spaniard  my  pistol  and  sword.  So  I 
called  to  Friday,  and  bade  him  run  up  to  the  tree 
from  whence  we  first  fired,  and  fetch  the  arms  which 
lay  there  that  had  been  discharged,  which  he  did 
with  great  swiftness ;  and  then  giving  him  my 
musket,  I  sat  down  myself  to  load  all  the  rest  again, 
and  bade  them  come  to  me  when  they  wanted. 
While  I  was  loading  these  pieces,  there  happened  a 
fierce  engagement  between  the  Spaniard  and  one  of 
the  savages,  who  made  at  him  with  one  of  their 
great  wooden  swords,  the  same  weapon  that  was  to 
have  killed  him  before  if  I  had  not  prevented  it. 
The  Spaniard,  who  was  as  bold  and  as  brave  as 
could  be  imagined,  though  weak,  had  fought  this 
Indian  a  good  while,  and  had  cut  him  two  great 
wounds  on  his  head  ;  but  the  savage  being  a  stout, 
lusty  fellow,  closing  in  with  him,  had  thrown  him 
down,  being  faint,  and  was  wringing  my  sword  out 
of  his  hand,  when  the  Spaniard,  though  undermost, 
wisely  quitting  the  sword,  drew  the  pistol  from  his 
girdle,  shot  the  savage  through  the  body,  and  killed 
him  upon  the  spot,  before  I,  who  was  running  to 
help  him,  could  come  near  him. 

Friday  being  now  left  to  his  liberty,  pursued  the 

[266] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

flying  wretches  with  no  weapon  in  his  hand  but  his 
hatchet ;  and  with  that  he  despatched  those  three 
who,  as  I  said  before,  were  wounded  at  first,  and 
fallen,  and  all  the  rest  he  could  come  up  with ;  and 
the  Spaniard  coming  to  me  for  a  gun,  I  gave  him 
one  of  the  fowling-pieces,  with  which  he  pursued 
two  of  the  savages,  and  wounded  them  both  ;  but 
as  he  was  not  able  to  run,  they  both  got  from  him 
into  the  wood,  where  Friday  pursued  them,  and  killed 
one  of  them  ;  but  the  other  was  too  nimble  for  him, 
and  though  he  was  wounded,  yet  had  plunged  him- 
self into  the  sea,  and  swam  with  all  his  might  off 
to  those  two  who  were  left  in  the  canoe;  which 
three  in  the  canoe,  with  one  wounded,  who  we  know 
not  whether  he  died  or  no,  were  all  that  escaped  our 
hands  of  one  and  twenty.  The  account  of  the  rest 
is  as  follows  :  — 

3  killed  at  our  first  shot  from  the  tree. 

2  killed  at  the  next  shot. 

2  killed  by  Friday  in  the  boat. 

2  killed  by  ditto,  of  those  at  first  wounded. 
1  killed  by  ditto  in  the  wood. 

3  killed  by  the  Spaniard. 

4  killed,  being  found  dropped  here  and  there  of 

their  wounds,  or  killed  by  Friday  in  his  chase 
of  them. 
4  escaped  in   the  boat,  whereof  one  wounded,  if 
not  dead. 

21  in  all. 

Those  that  were  in  the  canoe  worked  hard  to  get 
out  of  gun-shot ;  and  though  Friday  made  two  or 
three  shots  at  them,  I  did  not  find  that  he  hit  any 
of  them.  Friday  would  fain  have  had  me  take  one 
of  their  canoes,  and  pursued  them  ;  and,  indeed,  I 
was  very  anxious  about  their  escape,  lest   carrying 

[267] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

the  news  home  to  their  people  they  should  come 
back  perhaps  with  two  or  three  hundred  of  their 
canoes,  and  devour  us  by  mere  multitude.  So  I 
consented  to  pursue  them  by  sea,  and  running  to 
one  of  their  canoes  I  jumped  in,  and  bade  Friday 
follow  me.  But  when  I  was  in  the  canoe,  I  was 
surprised  to  find  another  poor  creature  lie  there 
alive,  bound  hand  and  foot,  as  the  Spaniard  was,  for 
the  slaughter,  and  almost  dead  with  fear,  not  know- 
ing what  the  matter  was  ;  for  he  had  not  been  able 
to  look  up  over  the  side  of  the  boat,  he  was  tied  so 
hard,  neck  and  heels,  and  had  been  tied  so  long, 
that  he  had  really  but  little  life  in  him. 

I  immediately  cut  the  twisted  flags  or  rushes, 
which  they  had  bound  him  with,  and  would  have 
helped  him  up ;  but  he  could  not  stand  or  speak, 
but  groaned  most  piteously,  believing,  it  seems,  still 
that  he  was  only  unbound  in  order  to  be  killed. 

When  Friday  came  to  him,  I  bade  him  speak  to 
him,  and  tell  him  of  his  deliverance  ;  and  pulling  out 
my  bottle,  made  him  give  the  poor  wretch  a  dram  ; 
which,  with  the  news  of  his  being  delivered,  revived 
him,  and  he  sat  up  in  the  boat.  But  when  Friday 
came  to  hear  him  speak,  and  look  in  his  face,  it 
would  have  moved  any  one  to  tears  to  have  seen 
how  Friday  kissed  him,  embraced  him,  hugged  him, 
cried,  laughed,  hallooed,  jumped  about,  danced, 
sung  ;  then  cried  again,  wrung  his  hands,  beat  his 
own  face  and  head,  and  then  sung  and  jumped  about 
again,  like  a  distracted  creature.  It  was  a  good 
while  before  I  could  make  him  speak  to  me,  or  tell 
me  what  was  the  matter ;  but  when  he  came  a  little 
to  himself,  he  told  me  that  it  was  his  father. 

It  is  not  easy  for  me  to  express  how  it  moved  me 
to  see  what  ecstasy  and  filial  affection  had  worked 
in  this  poor  savage  at  the  sight  of  his  father,  and  of 
his  being  delivered  from  death ;  nor,  indeed,  can  I 

[868] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

describe  half  the  extravagancies  of  his  affection  after 
this  ;  for  he  went  into  the  boat,  and  out  of  the  boat, 
a  great  many  times.  When  he  went  in  to  him,  he 
would  sit  down  by  him,  open  his  breast,  and  hold 
his  father's  head  close  to  his  bosom,  half-an-hour 
together,  to  nourish  it ;  then  he  took  his  arms  and 
ankles,  which  were  numbed  and  stiff  with  the  bind- 
ing, and  chafed  and  rubbed  them  with  his  hands  ; 
and  I,  perceiving  what  the  case  was,  gave  him  some 
rum  out  of  my  bottle  to  rub  them  with,  which  did 
them  a  great  deal  of  good. 

This  action  put  an  end  to  our  pursuit  of  the 
canoe  with  the  other  savages,  who  were  now  gotten 
almost  out  of  sight ;  and  it  was  happy  for  us  that  we 
did  not,  for  it  blew  so  hard  within  two  hours  after, 
and  before  they  could  be  gotten  a  quarter  of  their 
way,  and  continued  blowing  so  hard  all  night,  and 
that  from  the  north-west,  which  was  against  them, 
that  I  could  not  suppose  their  boat  could  live,  or  that 
they  ever  reached  to  their  own  coast. 

But  to  return  to  Friday.  He  was  so  busy  about 
his  father,  that  I  could  not  find  in  my  heart  to  take 
him  off  for  some  time ;  but  after  I  thought  he  could 
leave  him  a  little,  I  called  him  to  me,  and  he  came 
jumping  and  laughing,  and  pleased  to  the  highest 
extreme.  Then  I  asked  him  if  he  had  given  his 
father  any  bread.  He  shook  his  head,  and  said, 
"  None  ;  ugly  dog  eat  all  up  self.1"'  So  I  gave  him 
a  cake  of  bread  out  of  a  little  pouch  I  carried  on 
purpose.  I  also  gave  him  a  dram  for  himself,  but 
he  would  not  taste  it,  but  carried  it  to  his  father. 
I  had  in  my  pocket  also  two  or  three  bunches  of  my 
raisins,  so  I  gave  him  a  handful  of  them  for  his 
father.  He  had  no  sooner  given  his  father  these 
raisins,  but  I  saw  him  come  out  of  the  boat  and  run 
away,  as  if  he  had  been  bewitched,  he  ran  at  such  a 
rate  ;  for  he  was  the  swiftest  fellow  of  his  foot  that 

[269] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

ever  I  saw.  I  say,  he  run  at  such  a  rate,  that  he 
was  out  of  sight,  as  it  were,  in  an  instant ;  and 
though  I  called,  and  hallooed  too,  after  him,  it 
was  all  one,  away  he  went ;  and  in  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  I  saw  him  come  back  again,  though  not  so 
fast  as  he  went ;  and  as  he  came  nearer  I  found  his 
pace  was  slacker,  because  he  had  something  in  his 
hand. 

When  he  came  up  to  me,  I  found  he  had  been 
quite  home  for  an  earthen  jug,  or  pot,  to  bring  his 
father  some  fresh  water,  and  that  he  had  got  two 
more  cakes  or  loaves  of  bread.  The  bread  he  gave 
me,  but  the  water  he  carried  to  his  father.  How- 
ever, as  I  was  very  thirsty  too,  I  took  a  little  sup  of 
it.  This  water  revived  his  father  more  than  all  the 
rum  or  spirits  I  had  given  him,  for  he  was  just  faint- 
ing with  thirst. 

When  his  father  had  drank,  I  called  to  him  to 
know  if  there  was  any  water  left.  He  said,  "  Yes  ; " 
and  I  bade  him  give  it  to  the  poor  Spaniard,  who 
was  in  as  much  want  of  it  as  his  father  ;  and  I  sent 
one  of  the  cakes,  that  Friday  brought,  to  the  Span- 
iard too,  who  was  indeed  very  weak,  and  was  repos- 
ing himself  upon  a  green  place  under  the  shade  of  a 
tree ;  and  whose  limbs  were  also  very  stiff,  and  very 
much  swelled  with  the  rude  bandage  he  had  been 
tied  with.  When  I  saw  that  upon  Friday's  coming 
to  him  with  the  water  he  sat  up  and  drank,  and 
took  the  bread,  and  began  to  eat,  I  went  to  him, 
and  gave  him  a  handful  of  raisins.  He  looked  up  in 
my  face  with  all  the  tokens  of  gratitude  and  thank- 
fulness that  could  appear  in  any  countenance ;  but 
was  so  weak,  notwithstanding  he  had  so  exerted 
himself  in  the  fight,  that  he  could  not  stand  up 
upon  his  feet.  He  tried  to  do  it  two  or  three  times, 
but  was  really  not  able,  his  ankles  were  so  swelled 
and  so  painful  to  him ;  so  I  bade  him  sit  still,  and 

[870] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

caused  Friday  to  rub  his  ankles,  and  bathe  them  with 
rum,  as  he  had  done  his  father's. 

I  observed  the  poor  affectionate  creature,  every 
two  minutes,  or  perhaps  less,  all  the  while  he  was 
here,  turned  his  head  about  to  see  if  his  father  was 
in  the  same  place  and  posture  as  he  left  him  sitting ; 
and  at  last  he  found  he  was  not  to  be  seen  ;  at  which 
he  started  up,  and  without  speaking  a  word,  flew 
with  that  swiftness  to  him,  that  one  could  scarce 
perceive  his  feet  to  touch  the  ground  as  he  went. 
But  when  he  came,  he  only  found  he  had  laid  him- 
self down  to  ease  his  limbs  ;  so  Friday  came  back  to 
me  presently,  and  I  then  spoke  to  the  Spaniard  to 
let  Friday  help  him  up,  if  he  could,  and  lead  him 
to  the  boat,  and  then  he  should  carry  him  to  our 
dwelling,  where  I  would  take  care  of  him.  But 
Friday,  a  lusty  strong  fellow,  took  the  Spaniard 
quite  up  upon  his  back,  and  carried  him  away  to 
the  boat,  and  set  him  down  softly  upon  the  side  or 
gunnel  of  the  canoe,  with  his  feet  in  the  inside  of  it, 
and  then  lifted  him  quite  in,  and  set  him  close  to 
his  father ;  and  presently  stepping  out  again,  launched 
the  boat  off,  and  paddled  it  along  the  shore  faster  than 
I  could  walk,  though  the  wind  blew  pretty  hard  too. 
So  he  brought  them  both  safe  into  our  creek,  and 
leaving  them  in  the  boat,  runs  away  to  fetch  the 
other  canoe.  As  he  passed  me,  I  spoke  to  him,  and 
asked  him  whither  he  went.  He  told  me,  "Go 
fetch  more  boat."  So  away  he  went  like  the  wind, 
for  sure  never  man  or  horse  ran  like  him ;  and  he 
had  the  other  canoe  in  the  creek  almost  as  soon  as 
I  got  to  it  by  land ;  so  he  wafted  me  over,  and  then 
went  to  help  our  new  guests  out  of  the  boat,  which 
he  did  ;  but  they  were  neither  of  them  able  to  walk, 
so  that  poor  Friday  knew  not  what  to  do. 

To  remedy  this  I  went  to  work  in  my  thought, 
and  calling  to  Friday  to  bid  them  sit  down  on  the 

[  271  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

bank  while  he  came  to  me,  I  soon  made  a  kind  of 
hand-barrow  to  lay  them  on,  and  Friday  and  I 
carried  them  up  both  together  upon  it  between  us. 
But  when  we  got  them  to  the  outside  of  our  wall,  or 
fortification,  we  were  at  a  worse  loss  than  before,  for 
it  was  impossible  to  get  them  over,  and  I  was  re- 
solved not  to  break  it  down.  So  I  set  to  work 
again  ;  and  Friday  and  I,  in  about  two  hours1  time, 
made  a  very  handsome  tent,  covered  with  old  sails, 
and  above  that  with  boughs  of  trees,  being  in  the 
space  without  our  outward  fence,  and  between  that 
and  the  grove  of  young  wood  which  I  had  planted ; 
and  here  we  made  them  two  beds  of  such  things  as 
I  had,  viz.,  of  good  rice-straw,  with  blankets  laid 
upon  it  to  lie  on,  and  another  to  cover  them,  on 
each  bed. 

My  island  was  now  peopled,  and  I  thought  myself 
very  rich  in  subjects  ;  and  it  was  a  merry  reflection, 
which  I  frequently  made,  how  like  a  king  I  looked. 
First  of  all,  the  whole  country  was  my  own  mere 
property,  so  that  I  had  an  undoubted  right  of  domin- 
ion. Secondly,  my  people  were  perfectly  subjected. 
I  was  absolute  lord  and  lawgiver  ;  they  all  owed  their 
lives  to  me,  and  were  ready  to  lay  down  their  lives, 
if  there  had  been  occasion  of  it,  for  me.  It  was  re- 
markable, too,  we  had  but  three  subjects,  and  they 
were  of  three  different  religions.  My  man  Friday 
was  a  Protestant,  his  father  was  a  Pagan  and  a  canni- 
bal, and  the  Spaniard  was  a  Papist.  However,  I 
allowed  liberty  of  conscience  throughout  my  domin- 
ions.    But  this  is  by  the  way. 

As  soon  as  I  had  secured  my  two  weak  rescued 
prisoners,  and  given  them  shelter  and  a  place  to  rest 
them  upon,  I  began  to  think  of  making  some  pro- 
vision for  them  ;  and  the  first  thing  I  did,  I  ordered 
Friday  to  take  a  yearling  goat,  betwixt  a  kid  and  a 
goat,  out  of  my  particular  flock,  to  be  killed ;  when 

[272] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

I  cut  off  the  hinder-quarter,  and  chopping  it  into 
small  pieces,  I  set  Friday  to  work  to  boiling  and 
stewing,  and  made  them  a  very  good  dish,  I  assure 
you,  of  flesh  and  broth,  having  put  some  barley  and 
rice  also  into  the  broth  ;  and  as  I  cooked  it  without 
doors,  for  I  made  no  fire  within  my  inner  wall,  so  I 
carried  it  all  into  the  new  tent,  and  having  set  a 
table  there  for  them,  I  sat  down  and  ate  my  own 
dinner  also  with  them,  and  as  well  as  I  could  cheered 
them,  and  encouraged  them  ;  Friday  being  my  inter- 
preter, especially  to  his  father,  and,  indeed,  to  the 
Spaniard  too  ;  for  the  Spaniard  spoke  the  language 
of  the  savages  pretty  well. 

After  wre  had  dined,  or  rather  supped,  I  ordered 
Friday  to  take  one  of  the  canoes  and  go  and  fetch 
our  muskets  and  other  firearms,  which,  for  want  of 
time,  we  had  left  upon  the  place  of  battle  ;  and  the 
next  day  I  ordered  him  to  go  and  bury  the  dead 
bodies  of  the  savages,  which  lay  open  to  the  sun, 
and  would  presently  be  offensive  ;  and  I  also  ordered 
him  to  bury  the  horrid  remains  of  their  barbarous 
feast,  which  I  knew  were  pretty  much,  and  which  I 
could  not  think  of  doing  myself;  nay,  I  could  not 
bear  to  see  them,  if  I  went  that  way.  All  which  he 
punctually  performed,  and  defaced  the  very  appear- 
ance of  the  savages  being  there ;  so  that  when  I  went 
again  I  could  scarce  know  where  it  was,  otherwise 
than  by  the  corner  of  the  wood  pointing  to  the 
place. 

I  then  began  to  enter  into  a  little  conversation  with 
my  two  new  subjects  ;  and  first,  I  set  Friday  to  in- 
quire of  his  father  what  he  thought  of  the  escape  of 
the  savages  in  that  canoe,  and  whether  we  might 
expect  a  return  of  them,  with  a  power  too  great  for 
us  to  resist.  His  first  opinion  was,  that  the  savages 
in  the  boat  never  could  live  out  the  storm  which  blew 
that  night  they  went  off,  but  must,  of  necessity,  be 
VOL.  i. -is'  [273] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

drowned,  or  driven  south  to  those  other  shores,  where 
they  were  as  sure  to  be  devoured  as  they  were  to  be 
drowned  if  they  were  cast  away.  But  as  to  what 
they  would  do  if  they  came  safe  on  shore,  he  said 
he  knew  not ;  but  it  was  his  opinion  that  they  were 
so  dreadfully  frighted  with  the  manner  of  their  being 
attacked,  the  noise,  and  the  fire,  that  he  believed 
they  would  tell  their  people  they  were  all  killed  by 
thunder  and  lightning,  not  by  the  hand  of  man  ;  and 
that  the  two  which  appeared,  viz.,  Friday  and  me, 
were  two  heavenly  spirits,  or  furies,  come  down  to 
destroy  them,  and  not  men  with  weapons.  This,  he 
said,  he  knew,  because  he  heard  them  all  cry  out 
so  in  their  language  to  one  another  ;  for  it  was  im- 
possible to  them  to  conceive  that  a  man  could  dart 
fire,  and  speak  thunder,  and  kill  at  a  distance  with- 
out lifting  up  the  hand,  as  was  done  now.  And 
this  old  savage  was  in  the  right ;  for,  as  I  understood 
since  by  other  hands,  the  savages  never  attempted 
to  go  over  to  the  island  afterwards.  They  were  so 
terrified  with  the  accounts  given  by  those  four  men 
(for,  it  seems,  they  did  escape  the  sea),  that  they 
believed  whoever  went  to  that  enchanted  island  would 
be  destroyed  with  fire  from  the  gods. 

This,  however,  I  knew  not,  and  therefore  was 
under  continual  apprehensions  for  a  good  while,  and 
kept  always  upon  my  guard,  me  and  all  my  army ; 
for  as  we  were  now  four  of  us,  I  would  have  ven- 
tured upon  a  hundred  of  them,  fairly  in  the  open 
field,  at  any  time. 

In  a  little  time,  however,  no  more  canoes  appear- 
ing, the  fear  of  their  coming  wore  off,  and  I  began 
to  take  my  former  thoughts  of  a  voyage  to  the  main 
into  consideration  ;  being  likewise  assured,  by  Friday 's 
father,  that  I  might  depend  upon  good  usage  from 
their  nation,  on  his  account,  if  I  wrould  go. 

But  my  thoughts  were  a  little  suspended  when  I 

[874  J 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

had  a  serious  discourse  with  the  Spaniard,  and  when 
I  understood  that  there  were  sixteen  more  of  his 
countrymen  and  Portuguese,  who,  having  been  cast 
away,  and  made  their  escape  to  that  side,  lived  there 
at  peace,  indeed,  with  the  savages,  but  were  very 
sore  put  to  it  for  necessaries,  and  indeed  for  life.  I 
asked  him  all  the  particulars  of  their  voyage,  and 
found  they  were  a  Spanish  ship  bound  from  the  Rio 
de  la  Plata  to  the  Havana,  being  directed  to  leave 
their  loading  there,  which  was  chiefly  hides  and 
silver,  and  to  bring  back  what  European  goods  they 
could  meet  with  there  ;  that  they  had  five  Portu- 
guese seamen  on  board,  whom  they  took  out  of 
another  wreck ;  that  five  of  their  own  men  were 
drowned  when  the  first  ship  was  lost,  and  that  these 
escaped,  through  infinite  dangers  and  hazards,  and 
arrived,  almost  starved,  on  the  cannibal  coast,  where 
they  expected  to  have  been  devoured  every  moment. 

He  told  me  they  had  some  arms  with  them,  but 
they  were  perfectly  useless,  for  that  they  had  neither 
powder  or  ball,  the  washing  of  the  sea  having  spoiled 
all  their  powder  but  a  little,  which  they  used,  at 
their  first  landing,  to  provide  themselves  some  food. 

I  asked  him  what  he  thought  would  become  of 
them  there,  and  if  they  had  formed  no  design  of 
making  any  escape  ?  He  said  they  had  many  con- 
sultations about  it ;  but  that  having  neither  vessel, 
or  tools  to  build  one,  or  provisions  of  any  kind,  their 
councils  always  ended  in  tears  and  despair. 

I  asked  him  how  he  thought  they  would  receive  a 
proposal  from  me,  which  might  tend  towards  an 
escape  ;  and  whether,  if  they  were  all  here,  it  might 
not  be  done  ?  I  told  him  with  freedom,  I  feared 
mostly  their  treachery  and  ill  usage  of  me  if  I  put 
my  life  in  their  hands ;  for  that  gratitude  was  no 
inherent  virtue  in  the  nature  of  man,  nor  did  men 
always  square  their  dealings  by  the  obligations  thev 

[275] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

had  received,  so  much  as  they  did  by  the  advantages 
they  expected.  I  told  him  it  would  be  very  hard 
that  I  should  be  the  instrument  of  their  deliverance, 
and  that  they  should  afterwards  make  me  their 
prisoner  in  New  Spain,  where  an  Englishman  was 
certain  to  be  made  a  sacrifice,  what  necessity  or  what 
accident  soever  brought  him  thither ;  and  that  I  had 
rather  be  delivered  up  to  the  savages,  and  be  de- 
voured alive,  than  fall  into  the  merciless  claws  of 
the  priests,  and  be  carried  into  the  Inquisition.  I 
added,  that  otherwise  I  was  persuaded,  if  they  were 
all  here,  we  might,  with  so  many  hands,  build  a  bark 
large  enough  to  carry  us  all  away,  either  to  the 
Brazils,  southward,  or  to  the  islands,  or  Spanish 
coast,  northward ;  but  that  if,  in  requital,  they 
should,  when  I  had  put  weapons  into  their  hands, 
carry  me  by  force  among  their  own  people,  I  might 
be  ill  used  for  my  kindness  to  them,  and  make  my 
case  worse  than  it  was  before.  < 

He  answered,  with  a  great  deal  of  candour  and 
ingenuity,  that  their  condition  was  so  miserable,  and 
they  were  so  sensible  of  it,  that  he  believed  they 
would  abhor  the  thought  of  using  any  man  unkindly 
that  should  contribute  to  their  deliverance ;  and  that, 
if  I  pleased,  he  would  go  to  them  with  the  old  man, 
and  discourse  with  them  about  it,  and  return  again, 
and  bring  me  their  answer  ;  that  he  would  make  con- 
ditions with  them  upon  their  solemn  oath  that  they 
should  be  absolutely  under  my  leading,  as  their  com- 
mander and  captain  ;  and  that  they  should  swear 
upon  the  holy  sacraments  and  the  gospel  to  be  true 
to  me,  and  to  go  to  such  Christian  country  as  that  I 
should  agree  to,  and  no  other,  and  to  be  directed 
wholly  and  absolutely  by  my  orders  till  they  were 
landed  safely  in  such  country  as  I  intended ;  and 
that  he  would  bring  a  contract  from  them,  under 
their  hands,  for  that  purpose. 

[276] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

Then  he  told  me  he  would  first  swear  to  me  him- 
self, that  he  would  never  stir  from  me  as  long  as  he 
lived  till  I  gave  him  orders  ;  and  that  he  would  take 
my  side  to  the  last  drop  of  his  blood,  if  there  should 
happen  the  least  breach  of  faith  among  his  country- 
men. 

He  told  me  they  were  all  of  them  very  civil,  hon- 
est men,  and  they  were  under  the  greatest  distress 
imaginable,  having  neither  weapons  or  clothes,  or  any 
food,  but  at  the  mercy  and  discretion  of  the  savages  ; 
out  of  all  hopes  of  ever  returning  to  their  own  coun- 
try ;  and  that  he  was  sure,  if  I  would  undertake  their 
relief,  they  would  live  and  die  by  me. 

Upon  these  assurances,  I  resolved  to  venture  to 
relieve  them,  if  possible,  and  to  send  the  old  savage 
and  this  Spaniard  over  to  them  to  treat.  But  when 
we  had  gotten  all  things  in  a  readiness  to  go,  the 
Spaniard  himself  started  an  objection,  which  had  so 
much  prudence  in  it  on  one  hand,  and  so  much  sin- 
cerity on  the  other  hand,  that  I  could  not  but  be 
very  well  satisfied  in  it,  and  by  his  advice  put  off  the 
deliverance  of  his  comrades  for  at  least  half  a  year. 
The  case  was  thus. 

He  had  been  with  us  now  about  a  month,  during 
which  time  I  had  let  him  see  in  what  manner  I  had 
provided,  with  the  assistance  of  Providence,  for  my 
support ;  and  he  saw  evidently  what  stock  of  corn 
and  rice  I  had  laid  up  ;  which,  as  it  was  more  than 
sufficient  for  myself,  so  it  was  not  sufficient,  at  least 
without  good  husbandry,  for  my  family,  now  it  was 
increased  to  number  four ;  but  much  less  would  it  be 
sufficient  if  his  countrymen,  who  were,  as  he  said, 
fourteen,  still  alive,  should  come  over ;  and  least  of 
all  would  it  be  sufficient  to  victual  our  vessel,  if  we 
should  build  one,  for  a  voyage  to  any  of  the  Chris- 
tian colonies  of  America.  So  he  told  me  he  thought 
it  would  be  more  advisable  to  let  him  and  the  two 

[8771 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

others  dig  and  cultivate  some  more  land,  as  much  as 
I  could  spare  seed  to  sow ;  and  that  we  should  wait 
another  harvest,  that  we  might  have  a  supply  of 
corn  for  his  countrymen  when  they  should  come ; 
for  want  might  be  a  temptation  to  them  to  disagree, 
or  not  to  think  themselves  delivered,  otherwise  than 
out  of  one  difficulty  into  another.  "  You  know," 
says  he,  "  the  children  of  Israel,  though  they  rejoiced 
at  first  for  their  being  delivered  out  of  Egypt, 
yet  rebelled  even  against  God  Himself,  that  deliv- 
ered them,  when  they  came  to  want  bread  in  the 
wilderness." 

His  caution  was  so  seasonable,  and  his  advice  so 
good,  that  I  could  not  but  be  very  well  pleased  with 
his  proposal,  as  well  as  I  was  satisfied  with  his  fidel- 
ity. So  we  fell  to  digging  all  four  of  us,  as  well  as 
the  wooden  tools  we  were  furnished  with  permitted  ; 
and  in  about  a  month's  time,  by  the  end  of  which  it 
was  seed-time,  we  had  gotten  as  much  land  cured 
and  trimmed  up  as  we  sowed  twenty-two  bushels  of 
barley  on,  and  sixteen  jars  of  rice  ;  which  was,  in 
short,  all  the  seed  we  had  to  spare  ;  nor,  indeed, 
did  we  leave  ourselves  barley  sufficient  for  our  own 
food  for  the  six  months  that  we  had  to  expect  our 
crop  ;  that  is  to  say,  reckoning  from  the  time  we  set 
our  seed  aside  for  sowing ;  for  it  is  not  to  be 
supposed  it  is  six  months  in  the  ground  in  that 
country. 

Having  now  society  enough,  and  our  number  be- 
ing sufficient  to  put  us  out  of  fear  of  the  savages,  if 
they  had  come,  unless  their  number  had  been  very 
great,  we  went  freely  all  over  the  island,  wherever 
we  found  occasion  ;  and  as  here  we  had  our  escape 
or  deliverance  upon  our  thoughts,  it  was  impossible, 
at  least  for  me,  to  have  the  means  of  it  out  of  mine. 
To  this  purpose  I  marked  out  several  trees  which  I 
thought  fit  for  our  work,  and  I  set  Friday  and  his 

[  2TO  J 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

father  to  cutting  them  down  ;  and  then  I  caused  the 
Spaniard,  to  whom  I  imparted  my  thought  on  that 
affair,  to  oversee  and  direct  their  work.  I  showed 
them  with  what  indefatigable  pains  I  had  hewed  a 
large  tree  into  single  planks,  and  I  caused  them  to 
do  the  like,  till  they  had  made  about  a  dozen  large 
planks  of  good  oak,  near  two  feet  broad,  thirty-five 
feet  long,  and  from  two  inches  to  four  inches  thick. 
What  prodigious  labour  it  took  up,  any  one  may 
imagine. 

At  the  same  time,  I  contrived  to  increase  my  little 
flock  of  tame  goats  as  much  as  I  could ;  and  to  this 
purpose  I  made  Friday  and  the  Spaniard  go  out  one 
day,  and  myself  with  Friday  the  next  day,  for  we 
took  our  turns,  and  by  this  means  we  got  above 
twenty  young  kids  to  breed  up  with  the  rest ;  for 
whenever  we  shot  the  dam,  we  saved  the  kids,  and 
added  them  to  our  flock.  But  above  all,  the  season 
for  curing  the  grapes  coming  on,  I  caused  such  a 
prodigious  quantity  to  be  hung  up  in  the  sun,  that 
I  believe,  had  we  been  at  Alicant,  where  the  raisins 
of  the  sun  are  cured,  we  could  have  filled  sixty  or 
eighty  barrels ;  and  these,  with  our  bread,  was  a 
great  part  of  our  food,  and  very  good  living  too,  I 
assure  you  ;  for  it  is  an  exceeding  nourishing  food. 

It  was  now  harvest,  and  our  crop  in  good  order. 
It  was  not  the  most  plentiful  increase  I  had  seen  in 
the  island,  but,  however,  it  was  enough  to  answer  our 
end  ;  for  from  our  twenty-two  bushels  of  barley  we 
brought  in  and  thrashed  out  above  two  hundred  and 
twenty  bushels,  and  the  like  in  proportion  of  the 
rice  ;  which  was  store  enough  for  our  food  to  the 
next  harvest,  though  all  the  sixteen  Spaniards  had 
been  on  shore  with  me  ;  or  if  we  had  been  ready  for 
a  voyage,  it  would  very  plentifully  have  victualled 
our  ship  to  have  carried  us  to  any  part  of  the  world, 
that  is  to  say,  of  America. 

[  279  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

When  we  had  thus  housed  and  secured  our  maga- 
zine of  corn,  we  fell  to  work  to  make  more  wicker- 
work,  viz.,  great  baskets,  in  which  we  kept  it  ;  and 
the  Spaniard  was  very  handy  and  dexterous  at  this 
part,  and  often  blamed  me  that  I  did  not  make 
some  things  for  defence  of  this  kind  of  work  ;  but  I 
saw  no  need  of  it. 

And  now  having  a  full  supply  of  food  for  all  the 
guests  I  expected,  I  gave  the  Spaniard  leave  to  go 
over  to  the  main,  to  see  what  he  could  do  with 
those  he  had  left  behind  him  there.  I  gave  him  a 
strict  charge  in  writing  not  to  bring  any  man  with 
him  who  would  not  first  swear,  in  the  presence  of 
himself  and  of  the  old  savage,  that  he  would  no  way 
injure,  fight  with,  or  attack  the  person  he  should 
find  in  the  island,  who  was  so  kind  to  send  for  them 
in  order  to  their  deliverance ;  but  that  they  would 
stand  by  and  defend  him  against  all  such  attempts, 
and  wherever  they  went  would  be  entirely  under  and 
subjected  to  his  commands  ;  and  that  this  should  be 
put  in  writing,  and  signed  with  their  hands.  How 
we  were  to  have  this  done,  when  I  knew  they  had 
neither  pen  or  ink,  that  indeed  was  a  question  which 
we  never  asked. 

Under  these  instructions,  the  Spaniard  and  the  old 
savage,  the  father  of  Friday,  went  away  in  one  of  the 
canoes  which  they  might  be  said  to  come  in,  or  rather 
were  brought  in,  when  they  came  as  prisoners  to  be 
devoured  by  the  savages. 

I  gave  each  of  them  a  musket,  with  a  firelock  on 
it,  and  about  eight  charges  of  powder  and  ball, 
charging  them  to  be  very  good  husbands  of  both, 
and  not  to  use  either  of  them  but  upon  urgent 
occasion. 

This  was  a  cheerful  work,  being  the  first  measures 
used  by  me,  in  view  of  my  deliverance,  for  now 
twenty-seven  years  and   some   days.     I  gave  them 

[380] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

provisions  of  bread  and  of  dried  grapes  sufficient  for 
themselves  for  many  days,  and  sufficient  for  all  their 
countrymen  for  about  eight  days''  time  ;  and  wishing 
them  a  good  voyage,  I  see  them  go,  agreeing  with 
them  about  a  signal  they  should  hang  out  at  their 
return,  by  which  I  should  know  them  again,  when 
they  came  back,  at  a  distance,  before  they  came  on 
shore. 

They  went  away  with  a  fair  gale  on  the  day  that 
the  moon  was  at  full,  by  my  account  in  the  month  of 
October ;  but  as  for  an  exact  reckoning  of  days,  after 
I  had  once  lost  it,  I  could  never  recover  it  again  ;  nor 
had  I  kept  even  the  number  of  years  so  punctually 
as  to  be  sure  that  I  was  right,  though  as  it  proved, 
when  I  afterwards  examined  my  account,  I  found  I 
had  kept  a  true  reckoning  of  years. 

It  was  no  less  than  eight  days  I  had  waited  for 
them,  when  a  strange  and  unforeseen  accident  in- 
tervened, of  which  the  like  has  not  perhaps  been 
heard  of  in  history.  I  was  fast  asleep  in  my  hutch 
one  morning,  when  my  man  Friday  came  running  in 
to  me,  and  called  aloud,  "  Master,  master,  they  are 
come,  they  are  come  !  " 

I  jumped  up,  and,  regardless  of  danger,  I  went 
out  as  soon  as  I  could  get  my  clothes  on,  through 
my  little  grove,  which,  by  the  way,  was  by  this  time 
grown  to  be  a  very  thick  wood ;  I  say,  regardless  of 
danger,  I  went  without  my  arms,  which  was  not  my 
custom  to  do  ;  but  I  was  surprised  when,  turning  my 
eyes  to  the  sea,  I  presently  saw  a  boat  at  about  a  league 
and  half's  distance  standing  in  for  the  shore,  with  a 
shoulder-of-mutton  sail,  as  they  call  it,  and  the  wind 
blowing  pretty  fair  to  bring  them  in  ;  also  I  observed 
presently  that  they  did  not  come  from  that  side 
which  the  shore  lay  on,  but  from  the  southernmost 
end  of  the  island.  Upon  this  I  called  Friday  in, 
and  bid  him  lie  close,  for  these  were  not  the  people 

f  281  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

we  looked  for,  and  that  we  might  not  know  yet 
whether  they  were  friends  or  enemies. 

In  the  next  place,  I  went  in  to  fetch  my  perspective 
glass,  to  see  what  I  could  make  of  them  ;  and  having 
taken  the  ladder  out,  I  climbed  up  to  the  top  of  the 
hill,  as  I  used  to  do  when  I  was  apprehensive  of  any- 
thing, and  to  take  my  view  the  plainer,  without 
being  discovered. 

I  had  scarce  set  my  foot  on  the  hill,  when  my  eye 
plainly  discovered  a  ship  lying  at  an  anchor  at  about 
two  leagues  and  an  half  s  distance  from  me,  south- 
south-east,  but  not  above  a  league  and  an  half  from 
the  shore.  By  my  observation,  it  appeared  plainly 
to  be  an  English  ship,  and  the  boat  appeared  to  be 
an  English  longboat. 

I  cannot  express  the  confusion  I  was  in  ;  though 
the  joy  of  seeing  a  ship,  and  one  who  I  had  reason 
to  believe  was  manned  by  my  own  countrymen,  and 
consequently  friends,  was  such  as  I  cannot  describe. 
But  yet  I  had  some  secret  doubts  hung  about  me,  I 
cannot  tell  from  whence  they  came,  bidding  me  keep 
upon  my  guard.  In  the  first  place,  it  occurred  to 
me  to  consider  what  business  an  English  ship  could 
have  in  that  part  of  the  world,  since  it  was  not  the 
way  to  or  from  any  part  of  the  world  where  the 
English  had  any  traffic ;  and  I  knew  there  had  been 
no  storms  to  drive  them  in  there  as  in  distress  ;  and 
that  if  they  were  English  really,  it  was  most  proba- 
ble that  they  were  here  upon  no  good  design  ;  and 
that  I  had  better  continue  as  I  was,  than  fall  into 
the  hands  of  thieves  and  murderers. 

Let  no  man  despise  the  secret  hints  and  notices  of 
danger  which  sometimes  are  given  him  when  he  may 
think  there  is  no  possibility  of  its  being  real.  That 
such  hints  and  notices  are  given  us,  I  believe  few 
that  have  made  any  observations  of  things  can  deny  ; 
that  they  are  certain  discoveries  of  an  invisible  world, 

[282] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  a  converse  of  spirits,  we  cannot  doubt;  and  if 
the  tendency  of  them  seems  to  be  to  warn  us  of  dan- 
ger, why  should  we  not  suppose  they  are  from  some 
friendly  agent,  whether  supreme,  or  inferior  and  sub- 
ordinate, is  not  the  question,  and  that  they  are  given 
for  our  good  ? 

The  present  question  abundantly  confirms  me  in 
the  justice  of  this  reasoning;  for  had  I  not  been 
made  cautious  by  this  secret  admonition,  come  it 
from  whence  it  will,  I  had  been  undone  inevitably, 
and  in  a  far  worse  condition  than  before,  as  you 
will  see  presently. 

I  had  not  kept  myself  long  in  this  posture,  but  I 
saw  the  boat  draw  near  the  shore,  as  if  they  looked 
for  a  creek  to  thrust  in  at,  for  the  convenience  of 
landing.  However,  as  they  did  not  come  quite  far 
enough,  they  did  not  see  the  little  inlet  where  I  for- 
merly landed  my  rafts ;  but  run  their  boat  on  shore 
upon  the  beach,  at  about  half  a  mile  from  me,  which 
was  very  happy  for  me ;  for  otherwise  they  would 
have  landed  just,  as  I  may  say,  at  my  door,  and 
would  soon  have  beaten  me  out  of  my  castle,  and 
perhaps  have  plundered  me  of  all  I  had. 

When  they  were  on  shore,  I  was  fully  satisfied  that 
they  were  Englishmen,  at  least  most  of  them  ;  one  or 
two  I  thought  were  Dutch,  but  it  did  not  prove  so. 
There  were  in  all  eleven  men,  whereof  three  of  them 
I  found  were  unarmed,  and,  as  I  thought,  bound  ;  and 
when  the  first  four  or  five  of  them  were  jumped  on 
shore,  they  took  those  three  out  of  the  boat,  as  pris- 
oners. One  of  the  three  I  could  perceive  using  the 
most  passionate  gestures  of  entreaty,  affliction,  and 
despair,  even  to  a  kind  of  extravagance ;  the  other 
two,  I  could  perceive,  lifted  up  their  hands  some- 
times, and  appeared  concerned  indeed,  but  not  to 
such  a  degree  as  the  first. 

I  was  perfectly  confounded  at  the  sight,  and  knew 

[283] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

not  what  the  meaning  of  it  should  be.  Friday  called 
out  to  me  in  English  as  well  as  he  could,  "  O  master  ! 
you  see  English  mans  eat  prisoner  as  well  as  savage 
mans.,,  "  Why,"  says  I,  "  Friday,  do  you  think  they 
are  a-going  to  eat  them  then  ?  "  "  Yes,"  says  Friday, 
"  they  will  eat  them."  "  No,  no,"  says  I,  "  Friday, 
I  am  afraid  they  will  murder  them  indeed,  but  you 
may  be  sure  they  will  not  eat  them." 

All  this  while  I  had  no  thought  of  what  the  matter 
really  was,  but  stood  trembling  with  the  horror  of  the 
sight,  expecting  every  moment  when  the  three  pris- 
oners should  be  killed  ;  nay,  once  I  saw  one  of  the 
villains  lift  up  his  arm  with  a  great  cutlass,  as  the 
seamen  call  it,  or  sword,  to  strike  one  of  the  poor 
men ;  and  I  expected  to  see  him  fall  every  moment, 
at  which  all  the  blood  in  my  body  seemed  to  run 
chill  in  my  veins. 

I  wished  heartily  now  for  my  Spaniard,  and  the 
savage  that  was  gone  with  him  ;  or  that  I  had  any 
way  to  have  come  undiscovered  within  shot  of  them, 
that  I  might  have  rescued  the  three  men,  for  I  saw 
no  firearms  they  had  among  them  ;  but  it  fell  out  to 
my  mind  another  way. 

After  I  had  observed  the  outrageous  usage  of  the 
three  men  by  the  insolent  seamen,  I  observed  the 
fellows  run  scattering  about  the  land,  as  if  they 
wanted  to  see  the  country.  I  observed  that  the  three 
other  men  had  liberty  to  go  also  where  they  pleased  ; 
but  they  sat  down  all  three  upon  the  ground,  very 
pensive,  and  looked  like  men  in  despair. 

This  put  me  in  mind  of  the  first  time  when  I  came 
on  shore,  and  began  to  look  about  me;  how  I  gave 
myself  over  for  lost  ;  how  wildly  I  looked  round  me ; 
what  dreadful  apprehensions  I  had  ;  and  how  I  lodged 
in  the  tree  all  night,  for  fear  of  being  devoured  by 
wild  beasts. 

As  I  knew  nothing  that  night  of  the  supply  I  was 

[284] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  receive  by  the  providential  driving  of  the  ship 
nearer  the  land  by  the  storms  and  tide,  by  which  I 
have  since  been  so  long  nourished  and  supported ;  so 
these  three  poor  desolate  men  knew  nothing  how 
certain  of  deliverance  and  supply  they  were,  how 
near  it  was  to  them,  and  how  effectually  and  really 
they  were  in  a  condition  of  safety,  at  the  same  time 
that  they  thought  themselves  lost,  and  their  case 
desperate. 

So  little  do  we  see  before  us  in  the  world,  and  so 
much  reason  have  we  to  depend  cheerfully  upon  the 
great  Maker  of  the  world,  that  He  does  not  leave  His 
creatures  so  absolutely  destitute,  but  that,  in  the 
worst  circumstances,  they  have  always  something  to 
be  thankful  for,  and  sometimes  are  nearer  their  de- 
liverance than  they  imagine  ;  nay,  are  even  brought 
to  their  deliverance  by  the  means  by  which  they  seem 
to  be  brought  to  their  destruction. 

It  was  just  at  the  top  of  high- water  when  these 
people  came  on  shore ;  and  while  partly  they  stood 
parleying  with  the  prisoners  they  brought,  and  partly 
while  they  rambled  about  to  see  what  kind  of  a  place 
they  were  in,  they  had  carelessly  stayed  till  the  tide 
was  spent,  and  the  water  was  ebbed  considerably 
away,  leaving  their  boat  aground. 

They  had  left  two  men  in  the  boat,  who,  as  I 
found  afterwards,  having  drank  a  little  too  much 
brandy,  fell  asleep.  However,  one  of  them  waking 
sooner  than  the  other,  and  finding  the  boat  too  fast 
aground  for  him  to  stir  it,  hallooed  for  the  rest,  who 
were  straggling  about,  upon  which  they  all  soon  came 
to  the  boat ;  but  it  was  past  all  their  strength  to 
launch  her,  the  boat  being  very  heavy,  and  the  shore 
on  that  side  being  a  soft  oozy  sand,  almost  like  a 
quicksand. 

In  this  condition,  like  true  seamen,  who  are  per- 
haps the  least  of  all  mankind  given  to  forethought, 

[285  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

they  gave  it  over,  and  away  they  strolled  about  the 
country  again  ;  and  I  heard  one  of  them  say  aloud  to 
another,  calling  them  off  from  the  boat,  "  Why,  let 
her  alone,  Jack,  can't  ye  ?  she  will  float  next  tide  ; " 
by  which  I  was  fully  confirmed  in  the  main  inquiry 
of  what  countrymen  they  were. 

All  this  while  I  kept  myself  very  close,  not  once 
daring  to  stir  out  of  my  castle,  any  farther  than  to 
my  place  of  observation  near  the  top  of  the  hill ; 
and  very  glad  I  was  to  think  how  well  it  was  forti- 
fied. I  knew  it  was  no  less  than  ten  hours  before 
the  boat  could  be  on  float  again,  and  by  that  time 
it  would  be  dark,  and  I  might  be  at  more  liberty  to 
see  their  motions,  and  to  hear  their  discourse  if  they 
had  any. 

In  the  meantime,  I  fitted  myself  up  for  a  battle, 
as  before,  though  with  more  caution,  knowing  I  had 
to  do  with  another  kind  of  enemy  than  I  had  at 
first.  I  ordered  Friday  also,  whom  I  had  made  an 
excellent  marksman  with  his  gun,  to  load  himself 
with  arms.  I  took  myself  two  fowling-pieces,  and 
I  gave  him  three  muskets.  My  figure,  indeed,  was 
very  fierce.  I  had  my  formidable  goat-skin  coat  on, 
with  the  great  cap  I  have  mentioned,  a  naked  sword  by 
my  side,  two  pistols  in  my  belt,  and  a  gun  upon  each 
shoulder. 

It  was  my  design,  as  I  said  above,  not  to  have 
made  any  attempt  till  it  was  dark ;  but  about  two 
o'clock,  being  the  heat  of  the  day,  I  found  that,  in 
short,  they  were  all  gone  straggling  into  the  woods, 
and,  as  I  thought,  were  laid  down  to  sleep.  The 
three  poor  distressed  men,  too  anxious  for  their  con- 
dition to  get  any  sleep,  were,  however,  set  down 
under  the  shelter  of  a  great  tree,  at  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  from  me,  and,  as  I  thought,  out  of  sight 
of  any  of  the  rest. 

Upon  this  I  resolved  to  discover  myself  to  them, 

[286] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  learn  something  of  their  condition.  Immedi- 
ately I  marched  in  the  figure  as  above,  my  man 
Friday  at  a  good  distance  behind  me,  as  formidable 
for  his  arms  as  I,  but  not  making  quite  so  staring  a 
spectre-like  figure  as  I  did. 

I  came  as  near  them  undiscovered  as  I  could,  and 
then,  before  any  of  them  saw  me,  I  called  aloud  to 
them  in  Spanish,  "  What  are  ye,  gentlemen  ?  " 

They  started  up  at  the  noise,  but  were  ten  times 
more  confounded  when  they  saw  me,  and  the  un- 
couth figure  that  I  made.  They  made  no  answer  at 
all,  but  I  thought  I  perceived  them  just  going  to 
fly  from  me,  when  I  spoke  to  them  in  English. 
"  Gentlemen,"  said  I,  "  do  not  be  surprised  at  me ; 
perhaps  you  may  have  a  friend  near  you,  when  you 
did  not  expect  it."  "  He  must  be  sent  directly 
from  heaven  then,""  said  one  of  them  very  gravely  to 
me,  and  pulling  off  his  hat  at  the  same  time  to  me, 
"  for  our  condition  is  past  the  help  of  man."  u  All 
help  is  from  heaven,  sir,"  said  I.  "  But  can  you  put 
a  stranger  in  the  way  how  to  help  you,  for  you  seem 
to  me  to  be  in  some  great  distress  ?  I  saw  you 
when  you  landed  ;  and  when  you  seemed  to  make 
applications  to  the  brutes  that  came  with  you,  I  saw 
one  of  them  lift  up  his  sword  to  kill  you." 

The  poor  man,  with  tears  running  down  his  face, 
and  trembling,  looking  like  one  astonished,  returned, 
"  Am  I  talking  to  God,  or  man  ?  Is  it  a  real  man, 
or  an  angel  ? "  "  Be  in  no  fear  about  that,  sir," 
said  I.  "  If  God  had  sent  an  angel  to  relieve  you, 
he  would  have  come  better  clothed,  and  armed  after 
another  manner  than  you  see  me  in.  Pray  lay  aside 
your  fears ;  I  am  a  man,  an  Englishman,  and  dis- 
posed to  assist  you,  you  see.  I  have  one  servant 
only  ;  we  have  arms  and  ammunition ;  tell  us  freely, 
can  we  serve  you  ?     What  is  your  case  ?  " 

"  Our  case,"  said  he,  "  sir,  is  too  long  to  tell  you 

[287] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

while  our  murderers  are  so  near ;  but  in  short,  sir, 
I  was  commander  of  that  ship ;  my  men  have 
mutinied  against  me,  they  have  been  hardly  pre- 
vailed on  not  to  murder  me ;  and  at  last  have  set  me 
on  shore  in  this  desolate  place,  with  these  two  men 
with  me,  one  my  mate,  the  other  a  passenger,  where 
we  expected  to  perish,  believing  the  place  to  be 
uninhabited,  and  know  not  yet  what  to  think 
of  it." 

"  Where  are  those  brutes,  your  enemies  ?  "  said  I. 
"  Do  you  know  where  they  are  gone  ?  "  4t There  they 
lie,  sir,"  said  he,  pointing  to  a  thicket  of  trees.  "  My 
heart  trembles  for  fear  they  have  seen  us,  and  heard 
you  speak.  If  they  have,  they  will  certainly  murder 
us  all." 

"  Have  they  any  firearms  ?  "  said  I.  He  answered, 
they  had  only  two  pieces,  and  one  which  they  left 
in  the  boat.  "  Well  then,"  said  I,  "  leave  the  rest 
to  me,  I  see  they  are  all  asleep ;  it  is  an  easy  thing  to 
kill  them  all ;  but  shall  we  rather  take  them  pris- 
oners ? "  He  told  me  there  were  two  desperate  vil- 
lains among  them  that  it  was  scarce  safe  to  show  any 
mercy  to ;  but  if  they  were  secured,  he  believed  all 
the  rest  would  return  to  their  duty.  I  asked  him 
which  they  were  ?  He  told  me  he  could  not  at  that 
distance  describe  them,  but  he  would  obey  my  orders 
in  anything  I  would  direct.  "  Well,"  says  I,  "  let 
us  retreat  out  of  their  view  or  hearing,  lest  they 
awake,  and  we  will  resolve  further."  So  they  wil- 
lingly went  back  with  me,  till  the  woods  covered  us 
from  them. 

"  Look  you,  sir,"  said  I,  "  if  I  venture  upon  your 
deliverance,  are  you  willing  to  make  two  conditions 
with  me  ?  "  He  anticipated  my  proposals,  by  telling 
me  that  both  he  and  the  ship,  if  recovered,  should 
be  wholly  directed  and  commanded  by  me  in  every- 
thing ;  and  if  the  ship  was  not  recovered,  he  would 

[288] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

live  and  die  with  me  in  what  part  of  the  world  soever 
I  would  send  him  ;  and  the  two  other  men  said  the 
same. 

"  Well,"  says  I,  "  my  conditions  are  but  two.  1. 
That  while  you  stay  on  this  island  with  me,  you  will 
not  pretend  to  any  authority  here  ;  and  if  I  put  arms 
into  your  hands,  you  will,  upon  all  occasions,  give 
them  up  to  me,  and  do  no  prejudice  to  me  or  mine 
upon  this  island  ;  and  in  the  meantime,  be  governed 
by  my  orders.  2.  That  if  the  ship  is,  or  may  be, 
recovered,  you  will  carry  me  and  my  man  to  England, 
passage  free.1' 

He  gave  me  all  the  assurances  that  the  invention 
and  faith  of  man  could  devise  that  he  would  comply 
with  these  most  reasonable  demands  ;  and,  besides, 
would  owe  his  life  to  me,  and  acknowledge  it  upon 
all  occasions,  as  long  as  he  lived. 

"  Well  then,"  said  I,  "  here  are  three  muskets  for 
you,  with  powder  and  ball;  tell  me  next  what  you 
think  is  proper  to  be  done."  He  showed  all  the 
testimony  of  his  gratitude  that  he  was  able,  but 
offered  to  be  wholly  guided  by  me.  I  told  him  I 
thought  it  was  hard  venturing  anything ;  but  the 
best  method  I  could  think  of  was  to  fire  upon  them 
at  once,  as  they  lay  ;  and  if  any  was  not  killed 
at  the  first  volley,  and  offered  to  submit,  we  might 
save  them,  and  so  put  it  wholly  upon  God's  provi- 
dence to  direct  the  shot. 

He  said  very  modestly  that  he  was  loth  to  kill 
them,  if  he  could  help  it  ;  but  that  those  two  were 
incorrigible  villains,  and  had  been  the  authors  of  all 
the  mutiny  in  the  ship,  and  if  they  escaped,  we  should 
be  undone  still ;  for  they  would  go  on  board  and 
bring  the  whole  ship's  company,  and  destroy  us  all. 
"  Well  then,"  says  I,  "  necessity  legitimates  my  ad- 
vice, for  it  is  the  only  way  to  save  our  lives."  How- 
ever, seeing  him  still  cautious  of  shedding  blood,  I 
VOL.1.— 19  [289] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

told  him  they  should  go  themselves,  and  manage  as 
they  found  convenient. 

In  the  middle  of  this  discourse  we  heard  some  of 
them  awake,  and  soon  after  we  saw  two  of  them  on 
their  feet.  I  asked  him  if  either  of  them  were  of  the 
men  who  he  had  said  were  the  heads  of  the  mutiny? 
He  said,  "  No."  "  Well  then,"  said  I,  "  you  may  let 
them  escape ;  and  Providence  seems  to  have  wakened 
them  on  purpose  to  save  themselves.  Now,'"  says  I, 
"  if  the  rest  escape  you,  it  is  your  fault." 

Animated  with  this,  he  took  the  musket  I  had 
given  him  in  his  hand,  and  a  pistol  in  his  belt,  and 
his  two  comrades  with  him,  with  each  man  a  piece 
in  his  hand.  The  two  men  who  were  with  him  go- 
ing first  made  some  noise,  at  which  one  of  the  sea- 
men who  was  awake  turned  about,  and  seeing  them 
coming  cried  out  to  the  rest ;  but  it  was  too  late 
then,  for  the  moment  he  cried  out  they  fired  ;  I 
mean  the  two  men,  the  captain  wisely  reserving  his 
own  piece.  They  had  so  well  aimed  their  shot  at 
the  men  they  knew,  that  one  of  them  was  killed  on 
the  spot,  and  the  other  very  much  wounded  ;  but 
not  being  dead,  he  started  up  upon  his  feet,  and 
called  eagerly  for  help  to  the  other.  But  the  cap- 
tain stepping  to  him,  told  him  "t  was  too  late  to  cry 
for  help,  he  should  call  upon  God  to  forgive  his  vil- 
lany  ;  and  with  that  word  knocked  him  down  with 
the  stock  of  his  musket,  so  that  he  never  spoke  more. 
There  were  three  more  in  the  company,  and  one  of 
them  was  also  slightly  wounded.  By  this  time  I 
was  come ;  and  when  they  saw  their  danger,  and 
that  it  was  in  vain  to  resist,  they  begged  for*mercy. 
The  captain  told  them  he  would  spare  their  lives  if 
they  would  give  him  any  assurance  of  their  abhor- 
rence of  the  treachery  they  had  been  guilty  of,  and 
would  swear  to  be  faithful  to  him  in  recovering  the 
ship,  and  afterwards  in  carrying  her  back  to  Jamaica, 

[290] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

from  whence  they  came.  They  gave  him  all  the 
protestations  of  their  sincerity  that  could  be  desired, 
and  he  was  willing  to  believe  them,  and  spare  their 
lives,  which  I  was  not  against,  only  I  obliged  him  to 
keep  them  bound  hand  and  foot  while  they  were 
upon  the  island. 

While  this  was  doing,  I  sent  Friday  with  the 
captain's  mate  to  the  boat,  with  orders  to  secure  her, 
and  bring  away  the  oars  and  sail,  which  they  did  ; 
and  by-and-by  three  straggling  men,  that  were  (hap- 
pily for  them)  parted  from  the  rest,  came  back  upon 
hearing  the  guns  fired  ;  and  seeing  their  captain, 
who  before  was  their  prisoner,  now  their  conqueror, 
they  submitted  to  be  bound  also,  and  so  our  victory 
was  complete. 

It  now  remained  that  the  captain  and  I  should  in- 
quire into  one  another's  circumstances.  I  began 
first,  and  told  him  my  whole  history,  which  he  heard 
with  an  attention  even  to  amazement ;  and  particu- 
larly at  the  wonderful  manner  of  my  being  furnished 
with  provisions  and  ammunition  ;  and,  indeed,  as 
my  story  is  a  whole  collection  of  wonders,  it  affected 
him  deeply.  But  when  he  reflected  from  thence 
upon  himself,  and  how  I  seemed  to  have  been  pre- 
served there  on  purpose  to  save  his  life,  the  tears 
ran  down  his  face,  and  he  could  not  speak  a  word 
more. 

After  this  communication  was  at  an  end,  I  carried 
him  and  his  two  men  into  my  apartment,  leading 
them  in  just  where  I  came  out,  viz.,  at  the  top  of 
the  house,  where  I  refreshed  them  with  such  provis- 
ions as  I  had,  and  showed  them  all  the  contrivances 
I  had  made  during  my  long,  long  inhabiting  that 
place. 

All  I  showed  them,  all  I  said  to  them,  was  per- 
fectly amazing  ;  but  above  all,  the  captain  admired 
my  fortification,  and  how  perfectly  I  had  concealed 

[291  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

my  retreat  with  a  grove  of  trees,  which,  having  been 
now  planted  near  twenty  years,  and  the  trees  grow- 
ing much  faster  than  in  England,  was  become  a  lit- 
tle wood,  and  so  thick,  that  it  was  unpassable  in  any 
part  of  it  but  at  that  one  side  where  I  had  reserved 
my  little  winding  passage  into  it.  I  told  him  this 
was  my  castle  and  my  residence,  but  that  I  had  a 
seat  in  the  country,  as  most  princes  have,  whither  I 
could  retreat  upon  occasion,  and  I  would  show  him 
that  too  another  time  ;  but  at  present,  our  business 
was  to  consider  how  to  recover  the  ship.  He  agreed 
with  me  as  to  that,  but  told  me  he  was  perfectly  at  a 
loss  what  measures  to  take,  for  that  there  were  still  six 
and  twenty  hands  on  board,  who  having  entered  into 
a  cursed  conspiracy,  by  which  they  had  all  forfeited 
their  lives  to  the  law,  would  be  hardened  in  it  now 
by  desperation,  and  would  carry  it  on,  knowing  that 
if  they  were  reduced,  they  should  be  brought  to  the 
gallows  as  soon  as  they  came  to  England,  or  to  any 
of  the  English  colonies  ;  and  that  therefore  there 
would  be  no  attacking  them  with  so  small  a  number 
as  we  were. 

I  mused  for  some  time  upon  what  he  said,  and 
found  it  was  a  very  rational  conclusion,  and  that 
therefore  something  was  to  be  resolved  on  very 
speedily,  as  well  to  draw  the  men  on  board  into 
some  snare  for  their  surprise,  as  to  prevent  their 
landing  upon  us,  and  destroying  us.  Upon  this  it 
presently  occurred  to  me  that  in  a  little  while  the 
ship"^  crew,  wondering  what  was  become  of  their 
comrades,  and  of  the  boat,  would  certainly  come  on 
shore  in  their  other  boat  to  see  for  them  ;  and  that 
then,  perhaps,  they  might  come  armed,  and  be  too 
strong  for  us.     This  he  allowed  was  rational. 

Upon  this,  I  told  him  the  first  thing  we  had  to  do 
was  to  stave  the  boat,  which  lay  upon  the  beach,  so 
that  they  might  not  carry  her  off;  and  taking  every- 

[  292  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

thing  out  of  her,  leave  her  so  far  useless  as  not  to  be 
fit  to  swim.  Accordingly  we  went  on  board,  took 
the  arms  which  were  left  on  board  out  of  her,  and 
whatever  else  we  found  there,  which  was  a  bottle  of 
brandy,  and  another  of  rum,  a  few  biscuit-cakes,  a 
horn  of  powder,  and  a  great  lump  of  sugar  in  a 
piece  of  canvas  —  the  sugar  was  five  or  six  pounds  ; 
all  which  was  very  welcome  to  me,  especially  the 
brandy  and  sugar,  of  which  I  had  had  none  left  for 
many  years. 

When  we  had  carried  all  these  things  on  shore 
(the  oars,  mast,  sail,  and  rudder  of  the  boat  were 
carried  away  before,  as  above),  we  knocked  a  great 
hole  in  her  bottom,  that  if  they  had  come  strong 
enough  to  master  us,  yet  they  could  not  carry  off 
the  boat. 

Indeed,  it  was  not  much  in  my  thoughts  that  we 
could  be  able  to  recover  the  ship  ;  but  my  view  was, 
that  if  they  went  away  without  the  boat,  I  did  not 
much  question  to  make  her  fit  again  to  carry  us 
away  to  the  Leeward  Islands,  and  call  upon  our 
friends  the  Spaniards  in  my  way;  for  I  had  them 
still  in  my  thoughts. 

While  we  were  thus  preparing  our  designs,  and 
had  first,  by  main  strength,  heaved  the  boat  up  upon 
the  beach  so  high  that  the  tide  would  not  fleet  her 
off  at  high- water  mark  ;  and  besides,  had  broke  a 
hole  in  her  bottom  too  big  to  be  quickly  stopped, 
and  were  sat  down  musing  what  we  should  do,  we 
heard  the  ship  fire  a  gun,  and  saw  her  make  a  waft 
with  her  ancient  as  a  signal  for  the  boat  to  come  on 
board.  But  no  boat  stirred  ;  and  they  fired  several 
times,  making  other  signals  for  the  boat. 

At  last,  when  all  their  signals  and  firings  proved 
fruitless,  and  they  found  the  boat  did  not  stir,  we 
saw  them,  by  the  help  of  my  glasses,  hoist  another 
boat  out,  and  row  towards  the  shore ;  and  we  found, 

[293] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

as  they  approached,  that  there  was  no  less  than 
ten  men  in  her,  and  that  they  had  firearms  with 
them. 

As  the  ship  lay  almost  two  leagues  from  the  shore, 
we  had  a  full  view  of  them  as  they  came,  and  a  plain 
sight  of  the  men,  even  of  their  faces  ;  because  the 
tide  having  set  them  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  other 
boat,  they  rowed  up  under  shore,  to  come  to  the 
same  place  where  the  other  had  landed,  and  where 
the  boat  lay. 

By  this  means,  I  say,  we  had  a  full  view  of  them, 
and  the  captain  knew  the  persons  and  characters  of 
all  the  men  in  the  boat,  of  whom  he  said  that  there 
were  three  very  honest  fellows,  who,  he  was  sure, 
were  led  into  this  conspiracy  by  the  rest,  being  over- 
powered and  frighted  ;  but  that  as  for  the  boatswain, 
who,  it  seems,  was  the  chief  officer  among  them,  and 
all  the  rest,  they  were  as  outrageous  as  any  of  the 
ship's  crew,  and  were  no  doubt  made  desperate  in 
their  new  enterprise  ;  and  terribly  apprehensive  he 
was  that  they  would  be  too  powerful  for  us. 

I  smiled  at  him,  and  told  him  that  men  in  our 
circumstances  were  past  the  operation  of  fear  ;  that 
seeing  almost  every  condition  that  could  be  was 
better  than  that  which  we  were  supposed  to  be  in, 
we  ought  to  expect  that  the  consequence,  whether 
death  or  life,  would  be  sure  to  be  a  deliverance.  I 
asked  him  what  he  thought  of  the  circumstances  of 
my  life,  and  whether  a  deliverance  were  not  worth 
venturing  for  ?  "  And  where,  sir,"  said  I,  "  is  your 
belief  of  my  being  preserved  here  on  purpose  to  save 
your  life,  which  elevated  you  a  little  while  ago  ? 
For  my  part,""  said  I,  "  there  seems  to  be  but  one 
thing  amiss  in  all  the  prospect  of  it."  "  What  "s 
that  ?  "  says  he.  "  Why,"  said  I,  "  't  is  that,  as  you 
say,  there  are  three  or  four  honest  fellows  among 
them,  which  should  be  spared  ;  had  they  been  all  of 

[294] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

the  wicked  part  of  the  crew  I  should  have  thought 
God's  providence  had  singled  them  out  to  deliver 
them  into  your  hands ;  for  depend  upon  it,  every 
man  of  them  that  comes  ashore  are  our  own,  and 
shall  die  or  live  as  they  behave  to  us." 

As  I  spoke  this  with  a  raised  voice  and  cheerful 
countenance,  I  found  it  greatly  encouraged  him  ;  so 
we  set  vigorously  to  our  business.  We  had,  upon 
the  first  appearance  of  the  boat's  coming  from  the 
ship,  considered  of  separating  our  prisoners,  and  had, 
indeed,  secured  them  effectually. 

Two  of  them,  of  whom  the  captain  was  less  assured 
than  ordinary,  I  sent  with  Friday  and  one  of  the 
three  delivered  men  to  my  cave,  where  they  were  re- 
mote enough,  and  out  of  danger  of  being  heard  or 
discovered,  or  of  finding  their  way  out  of  the  woods 
if  they  could  have  delivered  themselves.  Here  they 
left  them  bound,  but  gave  them  provisions,  and 
promised  them,  if  they  continued  there  quietly,  to 
give  them  their  liberty  in  a  day  or  two  ;  but  that  if 
they  attempted  their  escape,  they  should  be  put  to 
death  without  mercy.  They  promised  faithfully  to 
bear  their  confinement  with  patience,  and  were  very 
thankful  that  they  had  such  good  usage  as  to  have 
provisions  and  a  light  left  them  ;  for  Friday  gave 
them  candles  (such  as  we  made  ourselves)  for  their 
comfort  ;  and  they  did  not  know  but  that  he  stood 
sentinel  over  them  at  the  entrance. 

The  other  prisoners  had  better  usage.  Two  of 
them  were  kept  pinioned,  indeed,  because  the  captain 
was  not  free  to  trust  them  ;  but  the  other  two  were 
taken  into  my  service,  upon  their  captain's  recom- 
mendation, and  upon  their  solemnly  engaging  to  live 
and  die  with  us  ;  so  with  them  and  the  three  honest 
men  we  were  seven  men  well  armed  ;  and  I  made  no 
doubt  we  should  be  able  to  deal  well  enough  with  the 
ten  that  were  a-coming,  considering  that  the  captain 

[295] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

had  said  there  were  three  or  four  honest  men  among 
them  also. 

As  soon  as  they  got  to  the  place  where  their  other 
boat  lay,  they  ran  their  boat  into  the  beach,  and 
came  all  on  shore,  hauling  the  boat  up  after  them, 
which  I  was  glad  to  see  ;  for  I  was  afraid  they  would 
rather  have  left  the  boat  at  an  anchor  some  distance 
from  the  shore,  with  some  hands  in  her  to  guard 
her,  and  so  we  should  not  be  able  to  seize  the  boat. 

Being  on  shore,  the  first  thing  they  did  they  ran 
all  to  their  other  boat ;  and  it  was  easy  to  see  that 
they  were  under  a  great  surprise  to  find  her  stripped, 
as  above,  of  all  that  was  in  her,  and  a  great  hole  in 
her  bottom. 

After  they  had  mused  a  while  upon  this,  they  set 
up  two  or  three  great  shouts,  hallooing  with  all  their 
might,  to  try  if  they  could  make  their  companions 
hear  ;  but  all  was  to  no  purpose.  Then  they  came 
all  close  in  a  ring,  and  fired  a  volley  of  their  small 
arms,  which,  indeed,  we  heard,  and  the  echoes  made 
the  woods  ring.  But  it  was  all  one ;  those  in  the 
cave  we  were  sure  could  not  hear,  and  those  in  our 
keeping,  though  they  heard  it  well  enough,  yet  durst 
give  no  answer  to  them. 

They  were  so  astonished  at  the  surprise  of  this, 
that,  as  they  told  us  afterwards,  they  resolved  to  go 
all  on  board  again,  to  their  ship,  and  let  them  know 
there  that  the  men  were  all  murdered,  and  the 
longboat  staved.  Accordingly,  they  immediately 
launched  their  boat  again,  and  gat  all  of  them  on 
board. 

The  captain  was  terribly  amazed,  and  even  con- 
founded at  this,  believing  they  would  go  on  board  the 
ship  again,  and  set  sail,  giving  their  comrades  for  lost, 
and  so  he  should  still  lose  the  ship,  which  he  was  in 
hopes  we  should  have  recovered ;  but  he  was  quickly 
as  much  frighted  the  other  way. 

[296] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

They  had  not  been  long  put  off  with  the  boat  but 
we  perceived  them  all  coming  on  shore  again  ;  but 
with  this  new  measure  in  their  conduct,  which  it  seems 
they  consulted  together  upon,  viz.,  to  leave  three 
men  in  the  boat,  and  the  rest  to  go  on  shore,  and 
go  up  into  the  country  to  look  for  their  fellows. 

This  was  a  great  disappointment  to  us,  for  now  we 
were  at  a  loss  what  to  do ;  for  our  seizing  those  seven 
men  on  shore  would  be  no  advantage  to  us  if  we  let 
the  boat  escape,  because  they  would  then  row  away 
to  the  ship,  and  then  the  rest  of  them  would  be  sure 
to  weigh  and  set  sail,  and  so  our  recovering  the  ship 
would  be  lost.  However,  we  had  no  remedy  but  to 
wait  and  see  what  the  issue  of  things  might  present. 
The  seven  men  came  on  shore,  and  the  three  who 
remained  in  the  boat  put  her  off  to  a  good  dis- 
tance from  the  shore,  and  came  to  an  anchor  to  wait 
for  them  ;  so  that  it  was  impossible  for  us  to  come 
at  them  in  the  boat. 

Those  that  came  on  shore  kept  close  together, 
marching  towards  the  top  of  the  little  hill  under 
which  my  habitation  lay  ;  and  we  could  see  them 
plainly,  though  they  could  not  perceive  us.  We 
could  have  been  very  glad  they  would  have  come 
nearer  to  us,  so  that  we  might  have  fired  at  them,  or 
that  they  would  have  gone  farther  off,  that  we  might 
have  come  abroad. 

But  when  they  were  come  to  the  brow  of  the  hill, 
where  they  could  see  a  great  way  into  the  valleys  and 
woods  which  lay  towards  the  north-east  part,  and 
where  the  island  lay  lowest,  they  shouted  and  hal- 
looed till  they  were  weary  ;  and  not  caring,  it  seems, 
to  venture  far  from  the  shore,  nor  far  from  one  an- 
other, they  sat  down  together  under  a  tree,  to  con- 
sider of  it.  Had  they  thought  fit  to  have  gone  to 
sleep  there,  as  the  other  party  of  them  had  done, 
they  had  done  the  job  for  us  ;  but  they  were  too  full 

[2971 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

of  apprehensions  of  danger  to  venture  to  go  to  sleep, 
though  they  could  not  tell  what  the  danger  was  they 
had  to  fear  neither. 

The  captain  made  a  very  just  proposal  to  me  upon 
this  consultation  of  theirs,  viz.,  that  perhaps  they 
would  all  fire  a  volley  again,  to  endeavour  to  make 
their  fellows  hear,  and  that  we  should  all  sally  upon 
them,  just  at  the  juncture  when  their  pieces  were  all 
discharged,  and  they  would  certainly  yield,  and  we 
should  have  them  without  bloodshed.  I  liked  the 
proposal,  provided  it  was  done  while  we  were  near 
enough  to  come  up  to  them  before  they  could  load 
their  pieces  again. 

But  this  event  did  not  happen,  and  we  lay  still  a 
long  time,  very  irresolute  what  course  to  take.  At 
length  I  told  them  there  would  be  nothing  to  be  done, 
in  my  opinion,  till  night ;  and  then,  if  they  did  not 
return  to  the  boat,  perhaps  we  might  find  a  way  to 
get  between  them  and  the  shore,  and  so  might  use 
some  stratagem  with  them  in  the  boat  to  get  them 
on  shore. 

We  waited  a  great  while,  though  very  impatient 
for  their  removing  ;  and  were  very  uneasy  when,  after 
long  consultations,  we  saw  them  start  all  up,  and 
march  down  toward  the  sea.  It  seems  they  had 
such  dreadful  apprehensions  upon  them  of  the  danger 
of  the  place,  that  they  resolved  to  go  on  board  the 
ship  again,  give  their  companions  over  for  lost,  and 
so  go  on  with  their  intended  voyage  with  the  ship. 

As  soon  as  I  perceived  them  go  towards  the  shore, 
I  imagined  it  to  be,  as  it  really  was,  that  they  had 
given  over  their  search,  and  were  for  going  back 
again ;  and  the  captain,  as  soon  as  I  told  him  my 
thoughts,  was  ready  to  sink  at  the  apprehensions  of 
it ;  but  I  presently  thought  of  a  stratagem  to  fetch 
them  back  again,  and  which  answered  my  end  to  a 
tittle. 

[298] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

I  ordered  Friday  and  the  captain's  mate  to  go 
over  the  little  creek  westward,  towards  the  place 
where  the  savages  came  on  shore  when  Friday  was 
rescued,  and  as  soon  as  they  came  to  a  little  rising 
ground,  at  about  half  a  mile  distance,  I  bade  them 
halloo  as  loud  as  they  could,  and  wait  till  they 
found  the  seamen  heard  them  ;  that  as  soon  as  ever 
they  heard  the  seamen  answer  them,  they  should 
return  it  again  ;  and  then  keeping  out  of  sight,  take 
a  round,  always  answering  when  the  other  hallooed, 
to  draw  them  as  far  into  the  island,  and  among  the 
woods,  as  possible,  and  then  wheel  about  again  to 
me  by  such  ways  as  I  directed  them. 

They  were  just  going  into  the  boat  when  Friday 
and  the  mate  hallooed  ;  and  they  presently  heard 
them,  and  answering,  run  along  the  shore  westward, 
towards  the  voice  they  heard,  when  they  were  pres- 
ently stopped  by  the  creek,  where  the  water  being 
up,  they  could  not  get  over,  and  called  for  the  boat 
to  come  up  and  set  them  over,  as,  indeed,  I  expected. 

When  they  had  set  themselves  over,  I  observed 
that  the  boat  being  gone  up  a  good  way  into  the 
creek,  and,  as  it  were,  in  a  harbour  within  the  land, 
they  took  one  of  the  three  men  out  of  her  to  go 
along  with  them,  and  left  only  two  in  the  boat, 
having  fastened  her  to  the  stump  of  a  little  tree  on 
the  shore. 

That  was  what  I  wished  for ;  and  immediately 
leaving  Friday  and  the  captain's  mate  to  their  busi- 
ness, I  took  the  rest  with  me,  and  crossing  the  creek 
out  of  their  sight,  we  surprised  the  two  men  before 
they  were  aware  ;  one  of  them  lying  on  shore,  and 
the  other  being  in  the  boat.  The  fellow  on  shore 
was  between  sleeping  and  waking,  and  going  to  start 
up.  The  captain,  who  was  foremost,  ran  in  upon 
him,  and  knocked  him  down,  and  then  called  out  to 
him  in  the  boat  to  yield,  or  he  was  a  dead  man. 

[299] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

There  needed  very  few  arguments  to  persuade  a 
single  man  to  yield  when  he  saw  five  men  upon  him, 
and  his  comrade  knocked  down ;  besides,  this  was,  it 
seems,  one  of  the  three  who  were  not  so  hearty  in 
the  mutiny  as  the  rest  of  the  crew,  and  therefore  was 
easily  persuaded  not  only  to  yield,  but  afterwards  to 
join  very  sincerely  with  us. 

In  the  meantime,  Friday  and  the  captain's  mate 
so  well  managed  their  business  with  the  rest,  that 
they  drew  them,  by  hallooing  and  answering,  from 
one  hill  to  another,  and  from  one  wood  to  another, 
till  they  not  only  heartily  tired  them,  but  left  them 
where  they  were  very  sure  they  could  not  reach  back 
to  the  boat  before  it  was  dark;  and,  indeed,  they 
were  heartily  tired  themselves  also  by  the  time  they 
came  back  to  us. 

We  had  nothing  now  to  do  but  to  watch  for  them 
in  the  dark,  and  to  fall  upon  them,  so  as  to  make 
sure  work  with  them. 

It  was  several  hours  after  Friday  came  back  to  me 
before  they  came  back  to  their  boat  ;  and  we  could 
hear  the  foremost  of  them,'  long  before  they  came 
quite  up,  calling  to  those  behind  to  come  along,  and 
could  also  hear  them  answer  and  complain  how  lame 
and  tired  they  were,  and  not  able  to  come  any  faster ; 
which  was  very  welcome  news  to  us. 

At  length  they  came  up  to  the  boat ;  but  't  is 
impossible  to  express  their  confusion  when  they 
found  the  boat  fast  aground  in  the  creek,  the  tide 
ebbed  out,  and  their  two  men  gone.  We  could 
hear  them  call  to  one  another  in  a  most  lamentable 
manner,  telling  one  another  they  were  gotten  into 
an  enchanted  island  ;  that  either  there  were  inhabi- 
tants in  it,  and  they  should  all  be  murdered,  or  else 
there  were  devils  and  spirits  in  it,  and  they  should 
be  all  carried  away  and  devoured. 

They  hallooed  again,  and  called  their  two  com- 

[300] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

rades  by  their  names  a  great  many  times  ;  but  no 
answer.  After  some  time  we  could. see  them,  by  the 
little  light  there  was,  run  about,  wringing  their 
hands  like  men  in  despair,  and  that  sometimes  they 
would  go  and  sit  down  in  the  boat  to  rest  them- 
selves ;  then  come  ashore  again,  and  walk  about 
again,  and  so  the  same  thing  over  again. 

My  men  would  fain  have  me  give  them  leave  to 
fall  upon  them  at  once  in  the  dark  ;  but  I  was  will- 
ing to  take  them  at  some  advantage,  so  to  spare 
them,  and  kill  as  few  of  them  as  I  could  ;  and  espe- 
cially I  was  unwilling  to  hazard  the  killing  any  of 
our  own  men,  knowing  the  other  were  very  well 
armed.  I  resolved  to  wait,  to  see  if  they  did  not 
separate  ;  and,  therefore,  to  make  sure  of  them,  I 
drew  my  ambuscade  nearer,  and  ordered  Friday  and 
the  captain  to  creep  upon  their  hands  and  feet,  as 
close  to  the  ground  as  they  could,  that  they  might 
not  be  discovered,  and  get  as  near  them  as  they 
could  possibly,  before  they  offered  to  fire. 

They  had  not  been  long  in  that  posture  but  that 
the  boatswain,  who  was  the  principal  ringleader  of 
the  mutiny,  and  had  now  shown  himself  the  most 
dejected  and  dispirited  of  all  the  rest,  came  walking 
towards  them,  with  two  more  of  their  crew.  The 
captain  was  so  eager,  as  having  this  principal  rogue 
so  much  in  his  power,  that  he  could  hardly  have 
patience  to  let  him  come  so  near  as  to  be  sure  of 
him,  for  they  only  heard  his  tongue  before ;  but 
when  they  came  nearer,  the  captain  and  Friday, 
starting  up  on  their  feet,  let  fly  at  them. 

The  boatswain  was  killed  upon  the  spot ;  the  next 
man  was  shot  into  the  body,  and  fell  just  by  him, 
though  he  did  not  die  till  an  hour  or  two  after  ;  and 
the  third  ran  for  it. 

At  the  noise  of  the  fire  I  immediately  advanced 
with  my  whole  army,  which  was  now  eight  men,  viz., 

[301] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

myself,  generalissimo ;  Friday,  my  lieutenant-gen- 
eral ;  the  captain  and  his  two  men,  and  the  three 
prisoners  of  war,  whom  we  had  trusted  with  arms. 

We  came  upon  them,  indeed,  in  the  dark,  so  that 
they  could  not  see  our  number  ;  and  I  made  the 
man  we  had  left  in  the  boat,  who  was  now  one  of 
us,  call  to  them  by  name,  to  try  if  I  could  bring 
them  to  a  parley,  and  so  might  perhaps  reduce 
them  to  terms,  which  fell  out  just  as  we  desired  ; 
for  indeed  it  was  easy  to  think,  as  their  condition 
then  was,  they  would  be  very  willing  to  capitulate. 
So  he  calls  out  as  loud  as  he  could  to  one  of  them, 
"  Tom  Smith  !  Tom  Smith  ! "  Tom  Smith  answered 
immediately,  "Who's  that?  Robinson  ?"  For  it 
seems  he  knew  his  voice.  The  other  answered,  "  Ay, 
ay  ;  for  God's  sake,  Tom  Smith,  throw  down  your 
arms  and  yield,  or  you  are  all  dead  men  this 
moment.*"' 

"  Who  must  we  yield  to  ?  Where  are  they  ?  " 
says  Smith  again.  "  Here  they  are,"  says  he ; 
"  here  *s  our  captain,  and  fifty  men  with  him,  have 
been  hunting  you  this  two  hours  ;  the  boatswain  is 
killed,  Will  Frye  is  wounded,  and  I  am  a  prisoner  ; 
and  if  you  do  not  yield,  you  are  all  lost."" 

"  Will  they  give  us  quarter  then,"  says  Tom 
Smith,  "  and  we  will  yield  ?  "  "  1 11  go  and  ask,  if 
you  promise  to  yield,"  says  Robinson.  So  he  asked 
the  captain,  and  the  captain  then  calls  himself  out, 
"  You,  Smith,  you  know  my  voice,  if  you  lay  down 
your  arms  immediately,  and  submit,  you  shall  have 
your  lives,  all  but  Will  Atkins." 

Upon  this  Will  Atkins  cried  out,  "For  God's 
sake,  captain,  give  me  quarter  ;  what  have  I  done  ? 
They  have  been  all  as  bad  as  I ;  "  which,  by  the 
way,  was  not  true  neither ;  for,  it  seems,  this  Will 
Atkins  was  the  first  man  that  laid  hold  of  the  cap- 
tain  when   they  first  mutinied,  and  used  him   bar- 

[302] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

barously,  in  tying  his  hands,  and  giving  him  injurious 
language.  However,  the  captain  told  him  he  must 
lay  down  his  arms  at  discretion,  and  trust  to  the 
governor's  mercy  ;  by  which  he  meant  me,  for  they 
all  called  me  governor. 

In  a  word,  they  all  laid  down  their  arms,  and 
begged  their  lives ;  and  I  sent  the  man  that  had 
parleyed  with  them  and  two  more,  who  bound  them 
all ;  and  then  my  great  army  of  fifty  men,  which, 
particularly  with  those  three,  were  all  but  eight, 
came  up  and  seized  upon  them  all,  and  upon  their 
boat ;  only  that  I  kept  myself  and  one  more  out  of 
sight  for  reasons  of  state. 

Our  next  work  was  to  repair  the  boat,  and  think 
of  seizing  the  ship  ;  and  as  for  the  captain,  now  he 
had  leisure  to  parley  with  them,  he  expostulated 
with  them  upon  the  villainy  of  their  practices  with 
him,  and  at  length  upon  the  farther  wickedness  of 
their  design,  and  how  certainly  it  must  bring  them 
to  misery  and  distress  in  the  end,  and  perhaps  to 
the  gallows. 

They  all  appeared  very  penitent,  and  begged  hard 
for  their  lives.  As  for  that,  he  told  them  they  were 
none  of  his  prisoners,  but  the  commander  of  the 
island;  that  they  thought  they  had  set  him  on 
shore  in  a  barren,  uninhabited  island  ;  but  it  had 
pleased  God  so  to  direct  them  that  the  island  was 
inhabited,  and  that  the  governor  was  an  English- 
man ;  that  he  might  hang  them  all  there,  if  he 
pleased ;  but  as  he  had  given  them  all  quarter,  he 
supposed  he  would  send  them  to  England,  to  be 
dealt  with  there  as  justice  required,  except  Atkins, 
whom  he  was  commanded  by  the  governor  to  advise 
to  prepare  for  death,  for  that  he  would  be  hanged 
in  the  morning. 

Though  this  was  all  a  fiction  of  his  own,  yet  it 
had  its  desired  effect.     Atkins  fell  upon  his  knees, 

[303] 


ROBlNSOxN    CRUSOE 

to  beg  the  captain  to  intercede  with  the  governor 
for  his  life  ;  and  all  the  rest  begged  of  him,  for  God's 
sake,  that  they  might  not  be  sent  to  England. 

It  now  occurred  to  me  that  the  time  of  our  de- 
liverance was  come,  and  that  it  would  be  a  most 
easy  thing  to  bring  these  fellows  in  to  be  hearty  in 
getting  possession  of  the  ship :  so  I  retired  in  the 
dark  from  them,  that  they  might  not  see  what  kind 
of  a  governor  they  had,  and  called  the  captain  to 
me.  When  I  called,  as  at  a  good  distance,  one  of 
the  men  was  ordered  to  speak  again,  and  say  to  the 
captain,  "  Captain,  the  commander  calls  for  you.'1 
And  presently  the  captain  replied,  "Tell  his  ex- 
cellency I  am  just  a-coming."  This  more  perfectly 
amused  them,  and  they  all  believed  that  the  com- 
mander was  just  by  with  his  fifty  men. 

Upon  the  captain's  coming  to  me,  I  told  him  my 
project  for  seizing  the  ship,  which  he  liked  of  won- 
derfully well,  and  resolved  to  put  it  in  execution  the 
next  morning.  But  in  order  to  execute  it  with  more 
art,  and  secure  of  success,  I  told  him  we  must  divide 
the  prisoners,  and  that  he  should  go  and  take  Atkins 
and  two  more  of  the  worst  of  them,  and  send  them 
pinioned  to  the  cave  where  the  others  lay.  This 
was  committed  to  Friday  and  the  two  men  who 
came  on  shore  with  the  captain. 

They  conveyed  them  to  the  cave,  as  to  a  prison. 
And  it  was,  indeed,  a  dismal  place,  especially  to  men 
in  their  condition.  The  others  I  ordered  to  my 
bower,  as  I  called  it,  of  which  I  have  given  a  full 
description ;  and  as  it  was  fenced  in,  and  they  pin- 
ioned, the  place  was  secure  enough,  considering  they 
were  upon  their  behaviour. 

To  these  in  the  morning  I  sent  the  captain,  who 
was  to  enter  into  a  parley  with  them ;  in  a  word, 
to  try  them,  and  tell  me  whether  he  thought  they 
miffht  be  trusted  or  no  to  go  on  board  and  surprise 

r  304  i 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

the  ship.  He  talked  to  them  of  the  injury  done 
him,  of  the  condition  they  were  brought  to  ;  and 
that  though  the  governor  had  given  them  quarter 
for  their  lives  as  to  the  present  action,  yet  that 
if  they  were  sent  to  England  they  would  all  be 
hanged  in  chains,  to  be  sure ;  but  that  if  they  would 
join  in  so  just  an  attempt  as  to  recover  the  ship, 
he  would  have  the  governor's  engagement  for  their 
pardon. 

Any  one  may  guess  how  readily  such  a  proposal 
would  be  accepted  by  men  in  their  condition.  They 
fell  down  on  their  knees  to  the  captain,  and  promised, 
with  the  deepest  imprecations,  that  they  would  be 
faithful  to  him  to  the  last  drop,  and  that  they  should 
owe  their  lives  to  him,  and  would  go  with  him  all 
over  the  world ;  that  they  would  own  him  for  a  father 
to  them  as  long  as  they  lived. 

"  Well,"  says  the  captain,  "  I  must  go  and  tell 
the  governor  what  you  say,  and  see  what  I  can  do 
to  bring  him  to  consent  to  it."  So  he  brought  me 
an  account  of  the  temper  he  found  them  in,  and  that 
he  verily  believed  they  would  be  faithful. 

However,  that  we  might  be  very  secure,  I  told 
him  he  should  go  back  again  and  choose  out  five  of 
them,  and  tell  them  they  might  see  that  he  did  not 
want  men,  that  he  would  take  out  those  five  to  be 
his  assistants,  and  that  the  governor  would  keep  the 
other  two  and  the  three  that  were  sent  prisoners  to 
the  castle,  my  cave,  as  hostages  for  the  fidelity  of 
those  five;  and  that  if  they  proved  unfaithful  in 
the  execution,  the  five  hostages  should  be  hanged 
in  chains  alive  upon  the  shore. 

This  looked  severe,  and  convinced  them  that  the 
governor  was  in  earnest.  However,  they  had  no  way 
left  them  but  to  accept  it ;  and  it  was  now  the  busi- 
ness of  the  prisoners,  as  much  as  of  the  captain,  to 
persuade  the  other  five  to  do  their  duty, 
vol.  i. —20  [  305  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

Our  strength  was  now  thus  ordered  for  the  ex- 
pedition. 1.  The  captain,  his  mate,  and  passenger. 
2.  Then  the  two  prisoners  of  the  first  gang,  to  whom, 
having  their  characters  from  the  captain,  I  had  given 
their  liberty,  and  trusted  them  with  arms.  3.  The 
other  two  whom  I  had  kept  till  now  in  my  bower, 
pinioned,  but  upon  the  captain's  motion  had  now  re- 
leased. 4.  These  five  released  at  last;  so  that  they 
were  twelve  in  all,  besides  five  we  kept  prisoners  in 
the  cave  for  hostages. 

I  asked  the  captain  if  he  was  willing  to  venture 
with  these  hands  on  board  the  ship ;  for  as  for  me 
and  my  man  Friday,  I  did  not  think  it  was  proper 
for  us  to  stir,  having  seven  men  left  behind,  and  it 
was  employment  enough  for  us  to  keep  them  asunder 
and  supply  them  with  victuals.  As  to  the  five  in 
the  cave,  I  resolved  to  keep  them  fast ;  but  Friday 
went  in  twice  a  day  to  them,  to  supply  them  with 
necessaries,  and  I  made  the  other  two  carry  provis- 
ions to  a  certain  distance,  where  Friday  was  to  take 
it. 

When  I  showed  myself  to  the  two  hostages,  it  was 
with  the  captain,  who  told  them  I  was  the  person 
the  governor  had  ordered  to  look  after  them,  and 
that  it  was  the  governor's  pleasure  they  should  not 
stir  anywhere  but  by  my  direction  ;  that  if  they  did, 
they  should  be  fetched  into  the  castle,  and  be  laid 
in  irons  ;  so  that  as  we  never  suffered  them  to  see 
me  as  governor,  so  I  now  appeared  as  another  per- 
son, and  spoke  of  the  governor,  the  garrison,  the 
castle,  and  the  like,  upon  all  occasions. 

The  captain  now  had  no  difficulty  before  him  but 
to  furnish  his  two  boats,  stop  the  breach  of  one, 
and  man  them.  He  made  his  passenger  captain  of 
one,  with  four  other  men  ;  and  himself,  and  his  mate, 
and  five  more  went  in  the  other  ;  and  they  contrived 
their  business   very  well,   for  they  came  up  to  the 

[  306  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

ship  about  midnight.  As  soon  as  they  came  within 
call  of  the  ship,  he  made  Robinson  hail  them,  and 
tell  them  they  had  brought  off  the  men  and  the 
boat,  but  that  it  was  a  long  time  before  they  had 
found  them,  and  the  like,  holding  them  in  a  chat 
till  they  came  to  the  ship's  side  ;  when  the  captain 
and  the  mate  entering  first,  with  their  arms,  immedi- 
ately knocked  down  the  second  mate  and  carpenter 
with  the  butt-end  of  their  muskets,  being  very  faith- 
fully seconded  by  their  men.  They  secured  all  the 
rest  that  were  upon  the  main  and  quarter  decks,  and 
began  to  fasten  the  hatches  to  keep  them  down  who 
were  below  ;  when  the  other  boat  and  their  men 
entering  at  the  fore-chains,  secured  the  forecastle 
of  the  ship,  and  the  scuttle  which  went  down  into 
the  cook-room,  making  three  men  they  found  there 
prisoners. 

When  this  was  done,  and  all  safe  upon  deck,  the 
captain  ordered  the  mate,  with  three  men,  to  break 
into  the  round-house,  where  the  new  rebel  captain 
lay,  and  having  taken  the  alarm  was  gotten  up,  and 
with  two  men  and  a  boy  had  gotten  firearms  in  their 
hands ;  and  when  the  mate  with  a  crow  split  open 
the  door,  the  new  captain  and  his  men  fired  boldly 
among  them,  and  wounded  the  mate  with  a  musket- 
ball,  which  broke  his  arm,  and  wounded  two  more  of 
the  men,  but  killed  nobody. 

The  mate  calling  for  help,  rushed  however  into  the 
round-house  wounded  as  he  was,  and  with  his  pistol 
shot  the  new  captain  through  the  head,  the  bullet 
entering  at  his  mouth  and  came  out  again  behind 
one  of  his  ears,  so  that  he  never  spoke  a  word ;  upon 
which  the  rest  yielded,  and  the  ship  was  taken 
effectually,  without  any  more  lives  lost. 

As  soon  as  the  ship  was  thus  secured,  the  captain 
ordered  seven  guns  to  be  fired,  which  was  the  signal 
agreed  upon  with  me  to  give  me  notice  of  his  success, 

[307] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

which  you  may  be  sure  I  was  very  glad  to  hear, 
having  sat  watching  upon  the  shore  for  it  till  near 
two  of  the  clock  in  the  morning. 

Having  thus  heard  the  signal  plainly,  I  laid  me 
down  ;  and  it  having  been  a  day  of  great  fatigue  to 
me,  I  slept  very  sound,  till  I  was  something  sur- 
prised with  the  noise  of  a  gun  ;  and  presently  start- 
ing up,  I  heard  a  man  call  me  by  the  name  of 
"  Governor,""  "  Governor,"  and  presently  I  knew  the 
captain's  voice ;  when  climbing  up  to  the  top  of 
the  hill,  there  he  stood,  and  pointing  to  the  ship, 
he  embraced  me  in  his  arms.  "  My  dear  friend  and 
deliverer,"  says  he,  "  there 's  your  ship,  for  she  is  all 
yours,  and  so  are  we,  and  all  that  belong  to  her." 
I  cast  my  eyes  to  the  ship,  and  there  she  rode  within 
little  more  than  half  a  mile  of  the  shore  ;  for  they 
had  weighed  her  anchor  as  soon  as  they  were  masters 
of  her,  and  the  weather  being  fair,  had  brought  her 
to  an  anchor  just  against  the  mouth  of  the  little 
creek,  and  the  tide  being  up,  the  captain  had  brought 
the  pinnace  in  near  the  place  where  I  at  first  landed 
mj  rafts,  and  so  landed  just  at  my  door. 

I  was  at  first  ready  to  sink  down  with  the  surprise  ; 
for  I  saw  my  deliverance,  indeed,  visibly  put  into  my 
hands,  all  things  easy,  and  a  large  ship  just  ready  to 
carry  me  away  whither  I  pleased  to  go.  At  first, 
for  some  time,  I  was  not  able  to  answer  him  one 
word ;  but  as  he  had  taken  me  in  his  arms,  I  held 
fast  by  him,  or  I  should  have  fallen  to  the  ground. 

He  perceived  the  surprise,  and  immediately  pulls 
a  bottle  out  of  his  pocket,  and  gave  me  a  dram  of 
cordial,  which  he  had  brought  on  purpose  for  me. 
After  I  had  drank  it,  I  sat  down  upon  the  ground ; 
and  though  it  brought  me  to  myself,  yet  it  was  a 
good  while  before  I  could  speak  a  word  to  him. 

All  this  while  the  poor  man  was  in  as  great  an 
ecstasy  as  I?  only  not  under  any  surprise,  as  I  was  ; 

[308] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

and  he  said  a  thousand  kind  tender  things  to  me,  to 
compose  me  and  bring  me  to  myself.  But  such  was 
the  flood  of  joy  in  my  breast,  that  it  put  all  my  spirits 
into  confusion.  At  last  it  broke  out  into  tears,  and 
in  a  little  while  after  I  recovered  my  speech. 

Then  I  took  my  turn,  and  embraced  him  as  my 
deliverer,  and  we  rejoiced  together.  I  told  him  I 
looked  upon  him  as  a  man  sent  from  heaven  to  de- 
liver me,  and  that  the  whole  transaction  seemed  to 
be  a  chain  of  wonders  ;  that  such  things  as  these 
were  the  testimonies  we  had  of  a  secret  hand  of  Pro- 
vidence governing  the  world,  and  an  evidence  that 
the  eyes  of  an  infinite  Power  could  search  into  the 
remotest  corner  of  the  world,  and  send  help  to  the 
miserable  whenever  He  pleased. 

I  forgot  not  to  lift  up  my  heart  in  thankfulness  to 
heaven  ;  and  what  heart  could  forbear  to  bless  Him, 
who  had  not  only  in  a  miraculous  manner  provided 
for  one  in  such  a  wilderness,  and  in  such  a  desolate 
condition,  but  from  whom  every  deliverance  must 
always  be  acknowledged  to  proceed  ? 

When  we  had  talked  a  while,  the  captain  told  me 
he  had  brought  me  some  little  refreshment,  such  as 
the  ship  afforded,  and  such  as  the  wretches  that  had 
been  so  long  his  masters  had  not  plundered  him  of. 
Upon  this  he  called  aloud  to  the  boat,  and  bid  his 
men  bring  the  things  ashore  that  were  for  the  gov- 
ernor ;  and,  indeed,  it  was  a  present  as  if  I  had  been 
one,  not  that  was  to  be  carried  away  along  with 
them,  but  as  if  I  had  been  to  dwell  upon  the  island 
still,  and  they  were  to  go  without  me. 

First,  he  had  brought  me  a  case  of  bottles  full  of 
excellent  cordial  waters,  six  large  bottles  of  Madeira 
wine  (the  bottles  held  two  quarts  apiece),  two  pounds 
of  excellent  good  tobacco,  twelve  good  pieces  of  the 
ship's  beef,  and  six  pieces  of  pork,  with  a  bag  of  peas, 
and  about  a  hundredweight  of  biscuit. 

[309] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

He  brought  me  also  a  box  of  sugar,  a  box  of  flour, 
a  bag  full  of  lemons,  and  two  bottles  of  lime-juice, 
and  abundance  of  other  things  ;  but  besides  these, 
and  what  was  a  thousand  times  more  useful  to  me, 
he  brought  me  six  clean  new  shirts,  six  very  good 
neck-cloths,  two  pair  of  gloves,  one  pair  of  shoes,  a 
hat,  and  one  pair  of  stockings,  and  a  very  good  suit 
of  clothes  of  his  own,  which  had  been  worn  but  very 
little ;  in  a  word,  he  clothed  me  from  head  to  foot. 

It  was  a  very  kind  and  agreeable  present,  as  any 
one  may  imagine,  to  one  in  my  circumstances  ;  but 
never  was  anything  in  the  world  of  that  kind  so  un- 
pleasant, awkward,  and  uneasy,  as  it  was  to  me  to 
wear  such  clothes  at  their  first  putting  on. 

After  these  ceremonies  passed,  and  after  all  his 
good  things  were  brought  into  my  little  apartment, 
we  began  to  consult  what  was  to  be  done  with  the 
prisoners  we  had ;  for  it  was  worth  considering 
whether  we  might  venture  to  take  them  away  with 
us  or  no,  especially  two  of  them,  whom  we  knew  to 
be  incorrigible  and  refractory  to  the  last  degree  ;  and 
the  captain  said  he  knew  they  were  such  rogues,  that 
there  was  no  obliging  them  ;  and  if  he  did  carry 
them  away,  it  must  be  in  irons,  as  malefactors,  to 
be  delivered  over  to  justice  at  the  first  English 
colony  he  could  come  at ;  and  I  found  that  the  cap- 
tain himself  was  very  anxious  about  it. 

Upon  this  I  told  him  that,  if  he  desired  it,  I 
durst  undertake  to  bring  the  two  men  he  spoke  of 
to  make  it  their  own  request  that  he  should  leave 
them  upon  the  island.  "  I  should  be  very  glad  of 
that,"  says  the  captain,  w4  with  all  my  heart." 

"  Well,"  says  I,  "  I  will  send  for  them  up,  and 
talk  with  them  for  you."  So  I  caused  Friday  and 
the  two  hostages,  for  they  were  now  discharged, 
their  comrades  having  performed  their  promise ;  I 
say,  I  caused  them  to  go  to  the  cave  and  bring  up 

[310] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

the  five  men,  pinioned  as  they  were,  to  the  bower, 
and  keep  them  there  till  I  came. 

After  some  time  I  came  thither,  dressed  in  my 
new  habit ;  and  now  I  was  called  governor  again. 
Being  all  met,  and  the  captain  with  me,  I  caused 
the  men  to  be  brought  before  me,  and  I  told  them  I 
had  had  a  full  account  of  their  villainous  behaviour 
to  the  captain,  and  how  they  had  run  away  with  the 
ship,  and  were  preparing  to  commit  farther  robberies, 
but  that  Providence  had  ensnared  them  in  their  own 
ways,  and  that  they  were  fallen  into  the  pit  which 
they  had  digged  for  others. 

I  let  them  know  that  by  my  direction  the  ship 
had  been  seized,  that  she  lay  now  in  the  road,  and 
they  might  see,  by-and-by,  that  their  new  captain 
had  received  the  reward  of  his  villainy,  for  that  they 
might  see  him  hanging  at  the  yard-arm  ;  that  as  to 
them,  I  wanted  to  know  what  they  had  to  say  why 
I  should  not  execute  them  as  pirates,  taken  in  the 
fact,  as  by  my  commission  they  could  not  doubt 
I  had  authority  to  do. 

One  of  them  answered  in  the  name  of  the  rest 
that  they  had  nothing  to  say  but  this,  that  when 
they  were  taken  the  captain  promised  them  their 
lives,  and  they  humbly  implored  my  mercy.  But  I 
told  them  I  knew  not  what  mercy  to  show  them  ; 
for  as  for  myself,  I  had  resolved  to  quit  the  island 
with  all  my  men,  and  had  taken  passage  with  the 
captain  to  go  for  England.  And  as  for  the  captain, 
he  could  not  carry  them  to  England  other  than  as 
prisoners  in  irons,  to  be  tried  for  mutiny,  and  run- 
ning away  with  the  ship  ;  the  consequence  of  which, 
they  must  needs  know,  would  be  the  gallows ;  so 
that  I  could  not  tell  which  was  best  for  them,  unless 
they  had  a  mind  to  take  their  fate  in  the  island. 
If  they  desired  that,  I  did  not  care,  as  I  had  liberty 
to  leave  it.     I  had  some  inclination   to  give   them 

[  811  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

their  lives,  if  they  thought  they  could  shift  on 
shore. 

They  seemed  very  thankful  for  it,  said  they  would 
much  rather  venture  to  stay  there  than  to  be  carried 
to  England  to  be  hanged ;  so  I  left  it  on  that  issue. 

However,  the  captain  seemed  to  make  some  diffi- 
culty of  it,  as  if  he  durst  not  leave  them  there. 
Upon  this  I  seemed  a  little  angry  with  the  captain, 
and  told  him  that  they  were  my  prisoners,  not  his  ; 
and  that  seeing  I  had  offered  them  so  much  favour, 
I  would  be  as  good  as  my  word ;  and  that  if  he  did 
not  think  fit  to  consent  to  it,  I  would  set  them  at 
liberty,  as  I  found  them  ;  and  if  he  did  not  like  it, 
he  might  take  them  again  if  he  could  catch  them. 

Upon  this  they  appeared  very  thankful,  and  I 
accordingly  set  them  at  liberty,  and  bade  them  re- 
tire into  the  woods  to  the  place  whence  they  came, 
and  I  would  leave  them  some  firearms,  some  ammu- 
nition, and  some  directions  how  they  should  live 
very  well,  if  they  thought  fit. 

Upon  this  I  prepared  to  go  on  board  the  ship,  but 
told  the  captain  that  I  would  stay  that  night  to  pre- 
pare my  things,  and  desired  him  to  go  on  board  in 
the  meantime,  and  keep  all  right  in  the  ship,  and 
send  the  boat  on  shore  the  next  day  for  me ;  order- 
ing him,  in  the  meantime,  to  cause  the  new  captain, 
who  was  killed,  to  be  hanged  at  the  yard-arm,  that 
these  men  might  see  him. 

When  the  captain  was  gone,  I  sent  for  the  men  up 
to  me  to  my  apartment,  and  entered  seriously  into 
discourse  with  them  of  their  circumstances.  I  told 
them  I  thought  they  had  made  a  right  choice ;  that 
if  the  captain  carried  them  away,  they  would  cer- 
tainly be  hanged.  I  showed  them  the  new  captain 
hanging  at  the  yard-arm  of  the  ship,  and  told  them 
they  had  nothing  less  to  expect. 

When  they  had  all  declared  their  willingness  to 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

stay,  I  then  told  them  I  would  let  them  into  the 
story  of  my  living  there,  and  put  them  into  the 
way  of  making  it  easy  to  them.  Accordingly  I  gave 
them  the  whole  history  of  the  place,  and  of  my  com- 
ing to  it,  showed  them  my  fortifications,  the  way  I 
made  my  bread,  planted  my  corn,  cured  my  grapes  ; 
and  in  a  word,  all  that  was  necessary  to  make  them 
easy.  I  told  them  the  story  also  of  the  sixteen 
Spaniards  that  were  to  be  expected,  for  whom  I  left 
a  letter,  and  made  them  promise  to  treat  them  in 
common  with  themselves. 

I  left  them  my  firearms,  viz.,  five  muskets,  three 
fowling-pieces,  and  three  swords.  I  had  above  a 
barrel  and  half  of  powder  left ;  for  after  the  first 
year  or  two  I  used  but  little,  and  wasted  none.  I 
gave  them  a  description  of  the  way  I  managed  the 
goats,  and  directions  to  milk  and  fatten  them,  and 
to  make  both  butter  and  cheese. 

In  a  word,  I  gave  them  every  part  of  my  own  story, 
and  I  told  them  I  would  prevail  with  the  captain  to 
leave  them  two  barrels  of  gunpowder  more,  and  some 
garden  seeds,  which  I  told  them  I  would  have  been 
very  glad  of.  Also  I  gave  them  the  bag  of  peas 
which  the  captain  had  brought  me  to  eat,  and  bade 
them  be  sure  to  sow  and  increase  them. 

Having  done  all  this,  I  left  them  the  next  day,  and 
went  on  board  the  ship.  We  prepared  immediately 
to  sail,  but  did  not  weigh  that  night.  The  next 
morning  early  two  of  the  five  men  came  swimming 
to  the  ship's  side,  and  making  a  most  lamentable  com- 
plaint of  the  other  three,  begged  to  be  taken  into  the 
ship  for  God's  sake,  for  they  should  be  murdered, 
and  begged  the  captain  to  take  them  on  board, 
though  he  hanged  them  immediately. 

Upon  this  the  captain  pretended  to  have  no  power 
without  me ;  but  after  some  difficulty,  and  after  their 
solemn  promises  of  amendment,  they  were  taken  on 

[313] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

board,  and  were  some  time  after  soundly  whipped  and 
pickled,  after  which  they  proved  very  honest  and 
quiet  fellows. 

Some  time  after  this  the  boat  was  ordered  on 
shore,  the  tide  being  up,  with  the  things  promised  to 
the  men,  to  which  the  captain,  at  my  intercession, 
caused  their  chests  and  clothes  to  be  added,  which  they 
took,  and  were  very  thankful  for.  I  also  encouraged 
them  by  telling  them  that  if  it  lay  in  my  way  to  send 
any  vessel  to  take  them  in,  I  would  not  forget  them. 

When  I  took  leave  of  this  island,  I  carried  on 
board,  for  relics,  the  great  goat-skin  cap  I  had  made, 
my  umbrella,  and  my  parrot ;  also  I  forgot  not  to 
take  the  money  I  formerly  mentioned,  which  had  lain 
by  me  so  long  useless  that  it  was  grown  rusty  or  tar- 
nished, and  could  hardly  pass  for  silver  till  it  had 
been  a  little  rubbed  and  handled ;  as  also  the  money 
I  found  in  the  wreck  of  the  Spanish  ship. 

And  thus  I  left  the  island,  the  19th  of  December, 
as  I  found  by  the  ship's  account,  in  the  year  1686, 
after  I  had  been  upon  it  eight  and  twenty  years,  two 
months,  and  nineteen  days,  being  delivered  from  this 
second  captivity  the  same  day  of  the  month  that  I 
first  made  my  escape  in  the  barco-longo,  from  among 
the  Moors  of  Sallee. 

In  this  vessel,  after  a  long  voyage,  I  arrived  in 
England,  the  11th  of  June,  in  the  year  1687,  having 
been  thirty  and  five  years  absent. 

When  I  came  to  England,  I  was  as  perfect  a 
stranger  to  all  the  world  as  if  I  had  never  been 
known  there.  My  benefactor  and  faithful  steward, 
whom  I  had  left  in  trust  with  my  money,  was  alive, 
but  had  had  great  misfortunes  in  the  world,  was  be- 
come a  widow  the  second  time,  and  very  low  in  the 
world.  I  made  her  easy  as  to  what  she  owed  me,  as- 
suring her  I  would  give  her  no  trouble ;  but  on  the 
contrary,  in  gratitude  to  her  former  care  and  faith- 

[314] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

fulness  to  me,  I  relieved  her  as  my  little  stock  would 
afford ;  which,  at  that  time,  would  indeed  allow  me 
to  do  but  little  for  her ;  but  I  assured  her  I  would 
never  forget  her  former  kindness  to  me,  nor  did  I 
forget  her  when  I  had  sufficient  to  help  her,  as  shall 
be  observed  in  its  place. 

I  went  down  afterwards  into  Yorkshire ;  but  my 
father  was  dead,  and  my  mother  and  all  the  family 
extinct,  except  that  I  found  two  sisters,  and  two  of 
the  children  of  one  of  my  brothers ;  and  as  I  had 
been  long  ago  given  over  for  dead,  there  had  been 
no  provision  made  for  me ;  so  that,  in  a  word,  I  found 
nothing  to  relieve  or  assist  me  ;  and  that  little  money 
I  had  would  not  do  much  for  me  as  to  settling  in 
the  world. 

I  met  with  one  piece  of  gratitude,  indeed,  which  I 
did  not  expect ;  and  this  was,  that  the  master  of  the 
ship  whom  I  had  so  happily  delivered,  and  by  the 
same  means  saved  the  ship  and  cargo,  having  given 
a  very  handsome  account  to  the  owners  of  the  man- 
ner how  I  had  saved  the  lives  of  the  men,  and  the  ship, 
they  invited  me  to  meet  them,  and  some  other  mer- 
chants concerned,  and  all  together  made  me  a  very 
handsome  compliment  upon  the  subject,  and  a  pres- 
ent of  almost  j?200  sterling. 

But  after  making  several  reflections  upon  the  cir- 
cumstances of  my  life,  and  how  little  way  this  would 
go  towards  settling  me  in  the  world,  I  resolved  to  go 
to  Lisbon,  and  see  if  I  might  not  come  by  some 
information  of  the  state  of  my  plantation  in  the 
Brazils,  and  of  what  was  become  of  my  partner,  who 
I  had  reason  to  suppose  had  some  years  now  given 
me  over  for  dead. 

With  this  view  I  took  shipping  for  Lisbon,  where 
I  arrived  in  April  following  ;  my  man  Friday  accom- 
panying me  very  honestly  in  all  these  ramblings,  and 
proving  a  most  faithful  servant  upon  all  occasions. 

[315] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

When  I  came  to  Lisbon,  I  found  out,  by  inquiry, 
and  to  my  particular  satisfaction,  my  old  friend  the 
captain  of  the  ship  who  first  took  me  up  at  sea  off 
of  the  shore  of  Africa.  He  was  now  grown  old,  and 
had  left  off  the  sea,  having  put  his  son,  who  was  far 
from  a  young  man,  into  his  ship,  and  who  still  used 
the  Brazil  trade.  The  old  man  did  not  know  me  ; 
and,  indeed,  I  hardly  knew  him  ;  but  I  soon  brought 
him  to  my  remembrance,  and  as  soon  brought  my- 
self to  his  remembrance  when  I  told  him  who  I  was. 

After  some  passionate  expressions  of  the  old  ac- 
quaintance, I  inquired,  you  may  be  sure,  after  my 
plantation  and  my  partner.  The  old  man  told  me 
he  had  not  been  in  the  Brazils  for  about  nine  years  ; 
but  that  he  could  assure  me  that,  when  he  came 
away,  my  partner  was  living ;  but  the  trustees,  whom 
I  had  joined  with  him  to  take  cognisance  of  my  part, 
were  both  dead.  That,  however,  he  believed  that  I 
would  have  a  very  good  account  of  the  improvement 
of  the  plantation  ;  for  that  upon  the  general  belief 
of  my  being  cast  away  and  drowned,  my  trustees  had 
given  in  the  account  of  the  produce  of  my  part  of 
the  plantation  to  the  procurator-fiscal,  who  had  ap- 
propriated it,  in  case  I  never  came  to  claim  it,  one- 
third  to  the  king,  and  two-thirds  to  the  monastery 
of  St.  Augustine,  to  be  expended  for  the  benefit  of 
the  poor,  and  for  the  conversion  of  the  Indians  to 
the  Catholic  faith  ;  but  that  if  I  appeared,  or  any 
one  for  me,  to  claim  the  inheritance,  it  should  be 
restored ;  only  that  the  improvement,  or  annual  pro- 
duction, being  distributed  to  charitable  uses,  could 
not  be  restored.  But  he  assured  me  that  the  steward 
of  the  king^  revenue  from  lands,  and  the  provedidore, 
or  steward  of  the  monastery,  had  taken  great  care 
all  along  that  the  incumbent,  that  is  to  say,  my 
partner,  gave  every  year  a  faithful  account  of  the 
produce,  of  which  they  received  duly  my  moiety. 

[316] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

I  asked  him  if  he  knew  to  what  height  of  im- 
provement he  had  brought  the  plantation,  and 
whether  he  thought  it  might  be  worth  looking  after ; 
or  whether,  on  my  going  thither,  I  should  meet  with 
no  obstruction  to  my  possessing  my  just  right  in 
the  moiety. 

He  told  me  he  could  not  tell  exactly  to  what 
degree  the  plantation  was  improved ;  but  this  he 
knew,  that  my  partner  was  growing  exceeding  rich 
upon  the  enjoying  but  one-half  of  it ;  and  that,  to 
the  best  of  his  remembrance,  he  had  heard  that  the 
king's  third  of  my  part,  which  was,  it  seems,  granted 
away  to  some  other  monastery  or  religious  house, 
amounted  to  above  two  hundred  moidores  a  year. 
That  as  to  my  being  restored  to  a  quiet  possession 
of  it,  there  was  no  question  to  be  made  of  that,  my 
partner  being  alive  to  witness  my  title,  and  my 
name  being  also  enrolled  in  the  register  of  the 
country.  Also  he  told  me  that  the  survivors  of  my 
two  trustees  were  very  fair,  honest  people,  and  very 
wealthy ;  and  he  believed  I  would  not  only  have 
their  assistance  for  putting  me  in  possession,  but 
would  find  a  very  considerable  sum  of  money  in  their 
hands  for  my  account,  being  the  produce  of  the 
farm  while  their  fathers  held  the  trust,  and  before 
it  was  given  up,  as  above  ;  which,  as  he  remembered, 
was  for  about  twelve  years. 

I  showed  myself  a  little  concerned  and  uneasy  at 
this  account,  and  inquired  of  the  old  captain  how 
it  came  to  pass  that  the  trustees  should  thus  dispose 
my  effects,  when  he  knew  that  I  had  made  my  will, 
and  had  made  him,  the  Portuguese  captain,  my 
universal  heir,  &c. 

He  told  me,  that  was  true  ;  but  that  as  there  was 
no  proof  of  my  being  dead,  he  could  not  act  as  exec- 
utor until  some  certain  account  should  come  of  my 
death  ;  and  that  besides,  he  was  not  willing  to  in- 

[317] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

termeddle  with  a  thing  so  remote  ;  that  it  was  true 
he  had  registered  my  will,  and  put  in  his  claim  ; 
and  could  he  have  given  any  account  of  my  being 
dead  or  alive,  he  would  have  acted  by  procuration, 
and  taken  possession  of  the  itigenio,  so  they  called 
the  sugar-house,  and  had  given  his  son,  who  was 
now  at  the  Brazils,  order  to  do  it. 

"  But,"  says  the  old  man,  "  I  have  one  piece  of 
news  to  tell  you,  which  perhaps  may  not  be  so  ac- 
ceptable to  you  as  the  rest ;  and  that  is,  that  believ- 
ing you  were  lost,  and  all  the  world  believing  so 
also,  your  partner  and  trustees  did  offer  to  account 
to  me,  in  your  name,  for  six  or  eight  of  the  first 
years  of  profits,  which  I  received  ;  but  there  being 
at  that  time,1"  says  he,  "  great  disbursements  for  in- 
creasing the  works,  building  an  ingenio,  and  buying 
slaves,  it  did  not  amount  to  near  so  much  as  after- 
wards it  produced.  However,"  says  the  old  man, 
44 1  shall  give  you  a  true  account  of  what  I  have  re- 
ceived in  all,  and  how  I  have  disposed  of  it." 

After  a  few  days1  farther  conference  with  this 
ancient  friend,  he  brought  me  an  account  of  the  six 
first  years'  income  of  my  plantation,  signed  by  my 
partner  and  the  merchant-trustees,  being  always  de- 
livered in  goods,  viz.,  tobacco  in  roll,  and  sugar  in 
chests,  besides  rum,  molasses,  &c,  which  is  the  con- 
sequence of  a  sugar-work ;  and  I  found,  by  this 
account,  that  every  year  the  income  considerably 
increased ;  but,  as  above,  the  disbursement  being 
large,  the  sum  at  first  was  small.  However,  the 
old  man  let  me  see  that  he  was  debtor  to  me  470 
moidores  of  gold,  besides  60  chests  of  sugar,  and  15 
double  rolls  of  tobacco,  which  were  lost  in  his  ship, 
he  having  been  shipwrecked  coming  home  to  Lisbon, 
about  eleven  years  after  my  leaving  the  place. 

The  good  man  then  began  to  complain  of  his  mis- 
fortunes, and  how  he  had  been  obliged  to  make  use 

[318] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

of  my  money  to  recover  his  losses,  and  buy  him  a 
share  in  a  new  ship.  "  However, .  my  old  friend," 
says  he,  "  you  shall  not  want  a  supply  in  your 
necessity  ;  and  as  soon  as  my  son  returns,  you  shall 
be  fully  satisfied." 

Upon  this  he  pulls  out  an  old  pouch,  and  gives  me 
160  Portugal  moidores  in  gold  ;  and  giving  me  the 
writing  of  his  title  to  the  ship,  which  his  son  was 
gone  to  the  Brazils  in,  of  which  he  was  a  quarter-part 
owner,  and  his  son  another,  he  puts  them  both  into 
my  hands  for  security  of  the  rest. 

I  was  too  much  moved  with  the  honesty  and  kind- 
ness of  the  poor  man  to  be  able  to  bear  this ;  and 
remembering  what  he  had  done  for  me,  how  he  had 
taken  me  up  at  sea,  and  how  generously  he  had  used 
me  on  all  occasions,  and  particularly  how  sincere  a 
friend  he  was  now  to  me,  I  could  hardly  refrain  weep- 
ing at  what  he  said  to  me  ;  therefore  first  I  asked 
him  if  his  circumstances  admitted  him  to  spare  so 
much  money  at  that  time,  and  if  it  would  not  straiten 
him  ?  He  told  me  he  could  not  say  but  it  might 
straiten  him  a  little  ;  but,  however,  it  was  my  money, 
and  I  might  want  it  more  than  he. 

Everything  the  good  man  said  was  full  of  affec- 
tion, and  I  could  hardly  refrain  from  tears  while 
he  spoke ;  in  short,  I  took  100  of  the  moidores,  and 
called  for  a  pen  and  ink  to  give  him  a  receipt  for 
them.  Then  I  returned  him  the  rest,  and  told  him 
if  ever  I  had  possession  of  the  plantation,  I  would 
return  the  other  to  him  also,  as,  indeed,  I  afterwards 
did  ;  and  that  as  to  the  bill  of  sale  of  his  part  in  his 
son's  ship,  I  would  not  take  it  by  any  means ;  but 
that  if  I  wanted  the  money,  I  found  he  was  honest 
enough  to  pay  me ;  and  if  I  did  not,  but  came  to 
receive  what  he  gave  me  reason  to  expect,  I  would 
never  have  a  penny  more  from  him. 

When  this  was  passed,  the  old  man  began  to  ask 

[319] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

me  if  he  should  put  me  into  a  method  to  make  my 
claim  to  my  plantation  ?  I  told  him  I  thought  to 
go  over  to  it  myself.  He  said  I  might  do  so  if  I 
pleased  ;  but  that  if  I  did  not,  there  were  ways 
enough  to  secure  my  right,  and  immediately  to 
appropriate  the  profits  to  my  use ;  and  as  there  were 
ships  in  the  river  of  Lisbon  just  ready  to  go  away 
to  Brazil,  he  made  me  enter  my  name  in  a  public 
register,  with  his  affidavit,  affirming,  upon  oath,  that 
I  was  alive,  and  that  I  was  the  same  person  who  took 
up  the  land  for  the  planting  the  said  plantation  at 
first. 

This  being  regularly  attested  by  a  notary,  and  a 
procuration  affixed,  he  directed  me  to  send  it,  with  a 
letter  of  his  writing,  to  a  merchant  of  his  acquaint- 
ance at  the  place,  and  then  proposed  my  staying  with 
him  till  an  account  came  of  the  return. 

Never  anything  was  more  honourable  than  the  pro- 
ceedings upon  this  procuration  ;  for  in  less  than  seven 
months  I  received  a  large  packet  from  the  survivors 
of  my  trustees,  the  merchants,  for  whose  account  I 
went  to  sea,  in  which  were  the  following  particular 
letters  and  papers  enclosed. 

First,  there  was  the  account-current  of  the  prod- 
uce of  my  farm  or  plantation  from  the  year  when 
their  fathers  had  balanced  with  my  old  Portugal 
captain,  being  for  six  years  ;  the  balance  appeared 
to  be  1174  moidores  in  my  favour. 

Secondly,  there  was  the  account  of  four  years 
more,  while  they  kept  the  effects  in  their  hands,  be- 
fore the  government  claimed  the  administration,  as 
being  the  effects  of  a  person  not  to  be  found,  which 
they  called  civil  death  ;  and  the  balance  of  this,  the 
value  of  the  plantation  increasing,  amounted  to 
38,892  crusadoes,  which  made  3241  moidores. 

Thirdly,  there  was  the  prior  of  the  Augustines1 
account,    who    had  received   the    profits    for   above 

[320] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

fourteen  years  ;  but  not  being  to  account  for  what 
was  disposed  to  the  hospital,  very  honestly  declared 
he  had  872  moidores  not  distributed,  which  he  ac- 
knowledged to  my  account ;  as  to  the  king's  part, 
that  refunded  nothing. 

There  was  a  letter  of  my  partner's,  congratulating 
me  very  affectionately  upon  my  being  alive,  giving 
me  an  account  how  the  estate  was  improved,  and 
what  it  produced  a  year,  with  a  particular  of  the 
number  of  squares  or  acres  that  it  contained  ;  how 
planted,  how  many  slaves  there  were  upon  it,  and 
making  two  and  twenty  crosses  for  blessings,  told 
me  he  had  said  so  many  Ave  Marias  to  thank  the 
blessed  Virgin  that  I  was  alive  ;  inviting  me  very 
passionately  to  come  over  and  take  possession  of  my 
own  ;  and  in  the  meantime,  to  give  him  orders  to 
whom  he  should  deliver  my  effects,  if  I  did  not 
come  myself;  concluding  with  a  hearty  tender  of  his 
friendship,  and  that  of  his  family ;  and  sent  me  as  a 
present  seven  fine  leopards*  skins,  which  he  had,  it 
seems,  received  from  Africa  by  some  other  ship  which 
he  had  sent  thither,  and  who,  it  seems,  had  made  a 
better  voyage  than  I.  He  sent  me  also  five  chests 
of  excellent  sweetmeats,  and  a  hundred  pieces  of 
gold  uncoined,  not  quite  so  large  as  moidores.  By 
the  same  fleet,  my  two  merchant  trustees  shipped 
me  1200  chests  of  sugar,  800  rolls  of  tobacco,  and 
the  rest  of  the  whole  account  in  gold. 

I  might  well  say  now,  indeed,  that  the  latter  end 
of  Job  was  better  than  the  beginning.  It  is  impossi- 
ble to  express  the  flutterings  of  my  very  heart  when 
I  looked  over  these  letters,  and  especially  when  I 
found  all  my  wealth  about  me  ;  for  as  the  Brazil 
ships  come  all  in  fleets,  the  same  ships  which  brought 
my  letters  brought  my  goods,  and  the  effects  were 
safe  in  the  river  before  the  letters  came  to  my  hand. 
In  a  word,  I  turned  pale,  and  grew  sick  ;  and  had 

VOL.  I.— 21  [321] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

not  the  old  man  run  and  fetched  me  a  cordial,  I  be- 
lieve the  sudden  surprise  of  joy  had  overset  Nature, 
and  I  had  died  upon  the  spot. 

Nay,  after  that  I  continued  very  ill,  and  was  so 
some  hours,  till  a  physician  being  sent  for,  and  some- 
thing of  the  real  cause  of  my  illness  being  known, 
he  ordered  me  to  be  let  blood,  after  which  I  had  re- 
lief, and  grew  well ;  but  I  verily  believe,  if  it  had 
not  been  eased  by  a  vent  given  in  that  manner  to 
the  spirits,  I  should  have  died. 

I  was  now  master,  all  on  a  sudden,  of  above  £5000 
sterling  in  money,  and  had  an  estate,  as  I  might  well 
call  it,  in  the  Brazils  of  above  a  thousand  pounds  a 
year,  as  sure  as  an  estate  of  lands  in  England  ;  and 
in  a  word,  I  was  in  a  condition  which  I  scarce  knew 
how  to  understand,  or  how  to  compose  myself  for  the 
enjoyment  of  it. 

The  first  thing  I  did  was  to  recompense  my  origi- 
nal benefactor,  my  good  old  captain,  who  had  been 
first  charitable  to  me  in  my  distress,  kind  to  me  in 
my  beginning,  and  honest  to  me  at  the  end.  I 
showed  him  all  that  was  sent  me.  I  told  him  that, 
next  to  the  providence  of  Heaven,  which  disposes  all 
things,  it  was  owing  to  him  ;  and  that  it  now  lay  on 
me  to  reward  him,  which  I  would  do  a  hundredfold. 
So  I  first  returned  to  him  the  hundred  moidores  I 
had  received  of  him  ;  then  I  sent  for  a  notary,  and 
caused  him  to  draw  up  a  general  release  or  discharge 
for  the  470  moidores  which  he  had  acknowledged  he 
owed  me  in  the  fullest  and  firmest  manner  possible  ; 
after  which  I  caused  a  procuration  to  be  drawn,  em- 
powering him  to  be  my  receiver  of  the  annual  profits 
of  my  plantation,  and  appointing  my  partner  to  ac- 
count to  him,  and  make  the  returns  by  the  usual 
fleets  to  him  in  my  name  ;  and  a  clause  in  the  end, 
being  a  grant  of  100  moidores  a  year  to  him,  during 
his  life,  out  of  the  effects,  and  50  moidores  a  year  to 

[322] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

his  son  after  him,  for  his  life  ;  and  thus  I  requited 
niv  old  man. 

I  was  now  to  consider  which  way  to  steer  my 
course  next,  and  what  to  do  with  the  estate  that 
Providence  had  thus  put  into  my  hands ;  and,  in- 
deed, I  had  more  care  upon  my  head  now  than  I  had 
in  my  silent  state  of  life  in  the  island,  where  I 
wanted  nothing  but  what  I  had,  and  had  nothing 
but  what  I  wanted  ;  whereas  I  had  now  a  great 
charge  upon  me,  and  my  business  was  how  to  secure 
it.  I  had  ne'er  a  cave  now  to  hide  my  money  in,  or 
a  place  where  it  might  lie  without  lock  or  key  till 
it  grew  mouldy  and  tarnished  before  anybody  would 
meddle  with  it.  On  the  contrary,  I  knew  not  where 
to  put  it,  or  whom  to  trust  with  it.  My  old  patron, 
the  captain,  indeed,  was  honest,  and  that  was  the 
only  refuge  I  had. 

In  the  next  place,  my  interest  in  the  Brazils 
seemed  to  summon  me  thither ;  but  now  I  could 
not  tell  how  to  think  of  going  thither  till  I  had 
settled  my  affairs,  and  left  my  effects  in  some  safe 
hands  behind  me.  At  first  I  thought  of  my  old 
friend  the  widow,  who  I  knew  was  honest,  and  would 
be  just  to  me  ;  but  then  she  was  in  years,  and  but 
poor,  and  for  aught  I  knew  might  be  in  debt ;  so 
that,  in  a  word,  I  had  no  way  but  to  go  back  to 
England  myself,  and  take  my  effects  with  me. 

It  was  some  months,  however,  before  I  resolved 
upon  this ;  and  therefore,  as  I  had  rewarded  the  old 
captain  fully,  and  to  his  satisfaction,  who  had  been 
my  former  benefactor,  so  I  began  to  think  of  my  poor 
widow,  whose  husband  had  been  my  first  benefactor, 
and  she,  while  it  was  in  her  power,  my  faithful 
steward  and  instructor.  So  the  first  thing  I  did,  I 
got  a  merchant  in  Lisbon  to  write  to  his  corre- 
spondent in  London,  not  only  to  pay  a  bill,  but  to 
go  find  her  out,  and  carrv  her  in  money  an  hundred 

[323] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

pounds  from  me,  and  to  talk  with  her,  and  comfort 
her  in  her  poverty,  by  telling  her  she  should,  if 
I  lived,  have  a  further  supply.  At  the  same  time  I 
sent  my  two  sisters  in  the  country  each  of  them  an 
hundred  pounds,  they  being,  though  not  in  want, 
yet  not  in  very  good  circumstances ;  one  having  been 
married,  and  left  a  widow ;  and  the  other  having  a 
husband  not  so  kind  to  her  as  he  should  be. 

But  among  all  my  relations  or  acquaintances,  I 
could  not  yet  pitch  upon  one  to  whom  I  durst  com- 
mit the  gross  of  my  stock,  that  I  might  go  away  to 
the  Brazils,  and  leave  things  safe  behind  me  ;  and  this 
greatly  perplexed  me. 

I  had  once  a  mind  to  have  gone  to  the  Brazils  and 
have  settled  myself  there,  for  I  was,  as  it  were, 
naturalised  to  the  place.  But  I  had  some  little 
scruple  in  my  mind  about  religion,  which  insensibly 
drew  me  back,  of  which  I  shall  say  more  presently. 
However,  it  was  not  religion  that  kept  me  from 
going  there  for  the  present  ;  and  as  I  had  made  no 
scruple  of  being  openly  of  the  religion  of  the  country 
all  the  while  I  was  among  them,  so  neither  did  I 
yet  ;  only  that,  now  and  then,  having  of  late  thought 
more  of  it  than  formerly,  when  I  began  to  think  of 
living  and  dying  among  them,  I  began  to  regret  my 
having  professed  myself  a  papist,  and  thought  it 
might  not  be  the  best  religion  to  die  with. 

But,  as  I  have  said,  this  was  not  the  main  thing 
that  kept  me  from  going  to  the  Brazils,  but  that 
really  I  did  not  know  with  whom  to  leave  my  effects 
behind  me  ;  so  I  resolved,  at  last,  to  go  to  England 
with  it,  where,  if  I  arrived,  I  concluded  I  should  make 
some  acquaintance,  or  find  some  relations,  that  would 
be  faithful  to  me  ;  and  accordingly  I  prepared  to  go 
for  England  with  all  my  wealth. 

In  order  to  prepare  things  for  my  going  home,  I 
first,  the  Brazil  fleet  being  just  going  awav,  resolved 

[324] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

to  give  answers  suitable  to  the  just  and  faithful  ac- 
count of  things  I  had  from  thence.  And  first,  to 
the  prior  of  St.  Augustine  I  wrote  a  letter  full  of 
thanks  for  their  just  dealings,  and  the  offer  of  the 
87S  moidores  which  was  undisposed  of,  which  I  de- 
sired might  be  given,  500  to  the  monastery,  and  372 
to  the  poor,  as  the  prior  should  direct,  desiring  the 
good  padre's  prayers  for  me,  and  the  like. 

I  wrote  next  a  letter  of  thanks  to  my  two  trustees, 
with  all  the  acknowledgment  that  so  much  justice  and 
honesty  called  for.  As  for  sending  them  any  present, 
they  were  far  above  having  any  occasion  of  it. 

Lastly,  I  wrote  to  my  partner,  acknowledging  his 
industry  in  the  improving  the  plantation,  and  his  in- 
tegrity in  increasing  the  stock  of  the  works,  giving 
him  instructions  for  his  future  government  of  my  part, 
according  to  the  powers  I  had  left  with  my  old  patron, 
to  whom  I  desired  him  to  send  whatever  became  due 
to  me  till  he  should  hear  from  me  more  particularly  ; 
assuring  him  that  it  was  my  intention  not  only  to  come 
to  him,  but  to  settle  myself  there  for  the  remainder 
of  my  life.  To  this  I  added  a  very  handsome  present 
of  some  Italian  silks  for  his  wife  and  two  daughters, 
for  such  the  captain's  son  informed  me  he  had,  with 
two  pieces  of  line  English  broadcloth,  the  best  I  could 
get  in  Lisbon,  five  pieces  of  black  baize,  and  some 
Flanders  lace  of  a  good  value. 

Having  thus  settled  my  affairs,  sold  my  cargo,  and 
turned  all  my  effects  into  good  bills  of  exchange,  my 
next  difficulty  was  which  way  to  go  to  England.  I 
had  been  accustomed  enough  to  the  sea,  and  yet  I  had 
a  strange  aversion  to  going  to  England  by  sea  at 
that  time ;  and  though  I  could  give  no  reason  for  it, 
yet  the  difficulty  increased  upon  me  so  much,  that 
though  I  had  once  shipped  my  baggage  in  order  to 
go,  yet  I  altered  my  mind,  and  that  not  once,  but 
two  or  three  times. 

[325] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

It  is  true  I  had  been  very  unfortunate  by  sea,  and 
this  might  be  some  of  the  reason  ;  but  let  no  man 
slight  the  strong  impulses  of  his  own  thoughts  in 
cases  of  such  moment.  Two  of  the  ships  which  I  had 
singled  out  to  go  in,  I  mean  more  particularly  singled 
out  than  any  other,  that  is  to  say,  so  as  in  one  of 
them  to  put  my  things  on  board,  and  in  the  other  to 
have  agreed  with  the  captain  ;  I  say,  two  of  these 
ships  miscarried,  viz.,  one  was  taken  by  the  Algerines, 
and  the  other  was  cast  away  on  the  Start,  near  Tor- 
bay,  and  all  the  people  drowned  except  three  ;  so 
that  in  either  of  those  vessels  I  had  been  made 
miserable ;  and  in  which  most,  it  was  hard  to 
say. 

Having  been  thus  harassed  in  my  thoughts,  my  old 
pilot,  to  whom  I  communicated  everything,  pressed 
me  earnestly  not  to  go  by  sea,  but  either  to  go  by 
land  to  the  Groyne,  and  cross  over  the  Bay  of  Bis- 
cay to  Rochelle,  from  whence  it  was  but  an  easy  and 
safe  journey  by  land  to  Paris,  and  so  to  Calais  and 
Dover  ;  or  to  go  up  to  Madrid,  and  so  all  the  way 
by  land  through  France. 

In  a  word,  I  was  so  prepossessed  against  my  go- 
ing by  sea  at  all,  except  from  Calais  to  Dover,  that 
I  resolved  to  travel  all  the  way  by  land ;  which,  as  I 
was  not  in  haste,  and  did  not  value  the  charge,  was 
by  much  the  pleasanter  way.  And  to  make  it  more 
so,  my  old  captain  brought  an  English  gentleman, 
the  son  of  a  merchant  in  Lisbon,  who  was  willing  to 
travel  with  me  ;  after  which  we  picked  up  two  more 
English  merchants  also,  and  two  young  Portuguese 
gentlemen,  the  last  going  to  Paris  only  ;  so  that  we 
were  in  all  six  of  us,  and  five  servants ;  the  two  mer- 
chants and  the  two  Portuguese  contenting  themselves 
with  one  servant  between  two,  to  save  the  charge  ; 
and  as  for  me,  I  got  an  English  sailor  to  travel  with 
me  as  a  servant,  besides  my  man  Friday,  who  was 

[326] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

too  much  a  stranger  to  be  capable  of  supplying  the 
place  of  a  servant  on  the  road. 

In  this  manner  I  set  out  from  Lisbon  ;  and  out- 
company  being  all  very  well  mounted  and  armed,  we 
made  a  little  troop,  whereof  they  did  me  the  honour 
to  call  me  captain,  as  well  because  I  was  the  oldest 
man,  as  because  I  had  two  servants,  and  indeed  was 
the  original  of  the  whole  journey. 

As  I  have  troubled  you  with  none  of  my  sea  jour- 
nals, so  I  shall  trouble  you  now  with  none  of  my  land 
journal ;  but  some  adventures  that  happened  to  us 
in  this  tedious  and  difficult  journey  I  must  not 
omit. 

When  we  came  to  Madrid,  we  being  all  of  us 
strangers  to  Spain,  were  willing  to  stay  some  time 
to  see  the  court  of  Spain,  and  to  see  what  was  worth 
observing ;  but  it  being  the  latter  part  of  the  sum- 
mer we  hastened  away,  and  set  out  from  Madrid 
about  the  middle  of  October  ;  but  when  we  came  to 
the  edge  of  Navarre,  we  were  alarmed  at  several 
towns  on  the  way  with  an  account  that  so  much 
snow  was  fallen  on  the  French  side  of  the  mountains, 
that  several  travellers  were  obliged  to  come  back  to 
Pampeluna,  after  having  attempted,  at  an  extreme 
hazard,  to  pass  on. 

When  we  came  to  Pampeluna  itself,  we  found  it 
so  indeed ;  and  to  me,  that  had  been  always  used  to 
a  hot  climate,  and  indeed  to  countries  where  we  could 
scarce  bear  any  clothes  on,  the  cold  was  insufferable ; 
nor  indeed  was  it  more  painful  than  it  was  surprising 
to  come  but  ten  days  before  out  of  the  Old  Castile, 
where  the  weather  was  not  only  warm,  but  very  hot, 
and  immediately  to  feel  a  wind  from  the  Pyrenean 
mountains  so  very  keen,  so  severely  cold,  as  to  be 
intolerable,  and  to  endanger  benumbing  and  perish- 
ing of  our  fingers  and  toes. 

Poor  Friday  was  really  frighted  when  he  saw  the 

[  mi  j 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

mountains  all  covered  with  snow,  and  felt  cold  weather, 
which  he  had  never  seen  or  felt  before  in  his  life. 

To  mend  the  matter,  when  we  came  to  Pampeluna 
it  continued  snowing  with  so  much  violence,  and  so 
long,  that  the  people  said  winter  was  come  before  its 
time  ;  and  the  roads,  which  were  difficult  before,  were 
now  quite  impassable ;  for,  in  a  word,  the  snow  lay 
in  some  places  too  thick  for  us  to  travel,  and  being 
not  hard  frozen,  as  is  the  case  in  northern  countries, 
there  was  no  going  without  being  in  danger  of  being 
buried  alive  every  step.  We  stayed  no  less,  than 
twenty  days  at  Pampeluna  ;  when  seeing  the  winter 
coming  on,  and  no  likelihood  of  its  being  better,  for 
it  was  the  severest  winter  all  over  Europe  that  had 
been  known  in  the  memory  of  man,  I  proposed  that 
we  should  all  go  away  to  Fontarabia,  and  there  take 
shipping  for  Bordeaux,  which  was  a  very  little  voyage. 

But  while  we  were  considering  this,  there  came  in 
four  French  gentlemen,  who  having  been  stopped  on 
the  French  side  of  the  passes,  as  we  were  on  the 
Spanish,  had  found  out  a  guide,  who,  traversing  the 
country  near  the  head  of  Languedoc  had  brought 
them  over  the  mountains  by  such  ways,  that  they 
were  not  much  incommoded  with  the  snow ;  and 
where  they  met  with  snow  in  any  quantity,  they  said 
it  was  frozen  hard  enough  to  bear  them  and  their 
horses. 

We  sent  for  this  guide,  who  told  us  he  would 
undertake  to  carry  us  the  same  way  with  no  hazard 
from  the  snow,  provided  we  were  armed  sufficiently 
to  protect  us  from  wild  beasts ;  for  he  said,  upon 
these  great  snows  it  was  frequent  for  some  wolves 
to  show  themselves  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains, 
being  made  ravenous  for  want  of  food,  the  ground 
being  covered  with  snow.  We  told  him  we  were 
well  enough  prepared  for  such  creatures  as  they 
were,  if  he  would  ensure  us   from   a   kind  of  two- 

[328] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

legged  wolves,  which,  we  were  told,  we  were  in  most 
danger  from,  especially  on  the  French  side  of  the 
mountains. 

He  satisfied  us  there  was  no  danger  of  that  kind 
in  the  way  that  we  were  to  go  ;  so  we  readily  agreed 
to  follow  him,  as  did  also  twelve  other  gentlemen, 
with  their  servants,  some  French,  some  Spanish, 
who,  as  I  said,  had  attempted  to  go,  and  were 
obliged  to  come  back  again. 

Accordingly  we  all  set  out  from  Pampeluna,  with 
our  guide,  on  the  15th  of  November  ;  and,  indeed,  I 
was  surprised  when,  instead  of  going  forward,  he 
came  directly  back  with  us  on  the  same  road  that 
we  came  from  Madrid,  above  twenty  miles ;  when 
being  passed  two  rivers,  and  come  into  the  plain 
country,  we  found  ourselves  in  a  warm  climate  again, 
where  the  country  was  pleasant,  and  no  snow  to  be 
seen  ;  but  on  a  sudden,  turning  to  his  left,  he  ap- 
proached the  mountains  another  way ;  and  though 
it  is  true  the  hills  and  precipices  looked  dreadful, 
yet  he  made  so  many  tours,  such  meanders,  and  led 
us  by  such  winding  ways,  that  we  were  insensibly 
passed  the  height  of  the  mountains  without  being 
much  encumbered  with  the  snow ;  and  all  on  a 
sudden  he  showed  us  the  pleasant  fruitful  provinces 
of  Languedoc  and  Gascoign,  all  green  and  flourish- 
ing, though,  indeed,  it  was  at  a  great  distance,  and 
we  had  some  rough  way  to  pass  yet. 

We  were  a  little  uneasy,  however,  when  we  found 
it  snowed  one  whole  day  and  a  night  so  fast,  that 
we  could  not  travel ;  but  he  bid  us  be  easy,  we 
should  soon  be  past  it  all.  We  found,  indeed,  that 
we  began  to  descend  every  day,  and  to  come  more 
north  than  before ;  and  so,  depending  upon  our 
guide,  we  went  on. 

It  was  about  two  hours  before  night  when,  our 
guide  being  something  before  us,  and  not  just  in 

[329  J 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

sight,  out  rushed  three  monstrous  wolves,  and  after 
them  a  bear,  out  of  a  hollow  way  adjoining  to  a 
thick  wood.  Two  of  the  wolves  flew  upon  the  guide, 
and  had  he  been  half  a  mile  before  us  he  had  been 
devoured  indeed  before  we  could  have  helped  him. 
One  of  them  fastened  upon  his  horse,  and  the  other 
attacked  the  man  with  that  violence,  that  he  had 
not  time,  or  not  presence  of  mind  enough,  to  draw 
his  pistol,  but  hallooed  and  cried  out  to  us  most 
lustily.  My  man  Friday  being  next  to  me,  I  bid 
him  ride  up,  and  see  what  was  the  matter.  As  soon 
as  Friday  came  in  sight  of  the  man,  he  hallooed  as 
loud  as  f  other,  "  O  master  !  O  master  !  "  but,  like 
a  bold  fellow,  rode  directly  up  to  the  poor  man,  and 
with  his  pistol  shot  the  wolf  that  attacked  him  into 
the  head. 

It  was  happy  for  the  poor  man  that  it  was  my 
man  Friday,  for  he  having  been  used  to  that  kind  of 
creature  in  his  country,  had  no  fear  upon  him,  but 
went  close  up  to  him  and  shot  him,  as  above  ;  where- 
as any  of  us  would  have  fired  at  a  farther  distance, 
and  have  perhaps  either  missed  the  wolf,  or  endan- 
gered shooting  the  man. 

But  it  was  enough  to  have  terrified  a  bolder  man 
than  I  ;  and,  indeed,  it  alarmed  all  our  company, 
when,  with  the  noise  of  Friday's  pistol,  we  heard  on 
both  sides  the  dismallest  howling  of  wolves  ;  and  the 
noise,  redoubled  by  the  echo  of  the  mountains,  that  it 
was  to  us  as  if  there  had  been  a  prodigious  multitude 
of  them  ;  and  perhaps  indeed  there  was  not  such  a 
few  as  that  we  had  no  cause  of  apprehensions. 

However,  as  Friday  had  killed  this  wolf,  the  other 
that  had  fastened  upon  the  horse  left  him  immedi- 
ately and  fled,  having  happily  fastened  upon  his 
head,  where  the  bosses  of  the  bridle  had  stuck  in 
his  teeth,  so  that  he  had  not  done  him  much  hurt. 
The    man    indeed   was    most  hurt ;    for  the    raging 

[330] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

creature  had  bit  him  twice,  once  on  the  arm,  and 
the  other  time  a  little  above  his  knee ;  and  he  was 
just  as  it  were  tumbling  down  by  the  disorder  of  his 
horse,  when  Friday  came  up  and  shot  the  wolf. 

It  is  easy  to  suppose  that  at  the  noise  of  Friday's 
pistol  we  all  mended  our  pace,  and  rid  up  as  fast  as 
the  way,  which  was  very  difficult,  would  give  us 
leave,  to  see  what  was  the  matter.  As  soon  as  we 
came  clear  of  the  trees,  which  blinded  us  before,  we 
saw  clearly  what  had  been  the  case,  and  how  Friday 
had  disengaged  the  poor  guide,  though  we  did  not 
presently  discern  what  kind  of  creature  it  was  he 
had  killed. 

But  never  was  a  fight  managed  so  hardily,  and  in 
such  a  surprising  manner,  as  that  which  followed 
between  Friday  and  the  bear,  which  gave  us  all, 
though  at  first  we  were  surprised  and  afraid  for  him, 
the  greatest  diversion  imaginable.  As  the  bear  is  a 
heavy,  clumsy  creature,  and  does  not  gallop  as  the 
wolf  does,  who  is  swift  and  light,  so  he  has  two  par- 
ticular qualities,  which  generally  are  the  rule  of  his 
actions :  first,  as  to  men,  who  are  not  his  proper 
prey  ;  I  say,  not  his  proper  prey,  because,  though  I 
cannot  say  what  excessive  hunger  might  do,  which 
was  now  their  case,  the  ground  being  all  covered 
with  snow ;  but  as  to  men,  he  does  not  usually  at- 
tempt them,  unless  they  first  attack  him.  On  the 
contrary,  if  you  meet  him  in  the  woods,  if  you  don't 
meddle  with  him,  he  won't  meddle  with  you  ;  but 
then  you  must  take  care  to  be  very  civil  to  him,  and 
give  him  the  road,  for  he  is  a  very  nice  gentleman. 
He  won't  go  a  step  out  of  his  way  for  a  prince ; 
nay,  if  you  are  really  afraid,  your  best  way  is  to 
look  another  way,  and  keep  going  on  ;  for  some- 
times if  you  stop,  and  stand  still,  and  look  steadily 
at  him,  he  takes  it  for  an  affront  ;  but  if  you  throw 
or  toss  anything  at  him,  and  it  hits  him,  though  it 

[331  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

were  but  a  bit  of  a  stick  as  big  as  your  finger,  he 
takes  it  for  an  affront,  and  sets  all  his  other  business 
aside  to  pursue  his  revenge ;  for  he  will  have  satis- 
faction in  point  of  honour.  That  is  his  first  quality  ; 
the  next  is,  that  if  he  be  once  affronted,  he  will 
never  leave  you,  night  or  day,  till  he  has  his  revenge, 
but  follows,  at  a  good  round  rate,  till  he  overtakes 
you. 

My  man  Friday  had  delivered  our  guide,  and 
when  we  came  up  to  him  he  was  helping  him  off 
from  his  horse ;  for  the  man  was  both  hurt  and 
frighted,  and  indeed  the  last  more  than  the  first  ; 
when,  on  the  sudden,  we  spied  the  bear  come  out  of 
the  wood,  and  a  vast  monstrous  one  it  was,  the 
biggest  by  far  that  ever  I  saw.  We  were  all  a  little 
surprised  when  we  saw  him  ;  but  when  Friday  saw 
him,  it  was  easy  to  see  joy  and  courage  in  the  fel- 
low's countenance.  "  O  !  O  !  O  !  "  says  Friday, 
three  times  pointing  to  him.  "  O  master !  you  give 
me  te  leave ;  me  shakee  te  hand  with  him  ;  me 
make  you  good  laugh." 

I  was  surprised  to  see  the  fellow  so  pleased. 
"  You  fool  you,"  says  I,  "  he  will  eat  you  up." 
"  Eatee  me  up !  eatee  me  up  ! "  says  Friday,  twice 
over  again  ;  "  me  eatee  him  up  ;  me  make  you  good 
laugh  ;  you  all  stay  here,  me  show  you  good  laugh." 
So  down  he  sits,  and  gets  his  boots  off  in  a  moment, 
and  put  on  a  pair  of  pumps,  as  we  call  the  flat 
shoes  they  wear,  and  which  he  had  in  his  pocket, 
gives  my  other  servant  his  horse,  and  with  his  gun 
away  he  flew,  swift  like  the  wind. 

The  bear  was  walking  softly  on,  and  offered  to 
meddle  with  nobody  till  Friday,  coming  pretty  near, 
calls  to  him,  as  if  the  bear  could  understand  him, 
"  Hark  ye,  hark  ye,"  says  Friday,  "  me  speakee  wit 
you."  We  followed  at  a  distance ;  for  now  being 
come  down  on  the  Gascoign  side  of  the  mountains, 

[332  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

we  were  entered  a  vast  great  forest,  where  the  coun- 
try was  plain  and  pretty  open,  though  many  trees  in 
it  scattered  here  and  there. 

Friday,  who  had,  as  we  say,  the  heels  of  the  bear, 
came  up  with  him  quickly,  and  takes  up  a  great 
stone  and  throws  at  him,  and  hit  him  just  on  the 
head,  but  did  him  no  more  harm  than  if  he  had 
thrown  it  against  a  wall.  But  it  answered  Friday's 
end,  for  the  rogue  was  so  void  of  fear,  that  he  did 
it  purely  to  make  the  bear  follow  him,  and  show  us 
some  laugh,  as  he  called  it. 

As  soon  as  the  bear  felt  the  stone,  and  saw  him, 
he  turns  about,  and  comes  after  him,  taking  devilish 
long  strides,  and  shuffling  along  at  a  strange  rate,  so 
as  would  have  put  a  horse  to  a  middling  gallop. 
Away  runs  Friday,  and  takes  his  course  as  if  he  run 
towards  us  for  help  ;  so  we  all  resolved  to  fire  at  once 
upon  the  bear,  and  deliver  my  man  ;  though  I  was 
angry  at  him  heartily  for  bringing  the  bear  back  upon 
us,  when  he  was  going  about  his  own  business  another 
way ;  and  especially  I  was  angry  that  he  had  turned 
the  bear  upon  us,  and  then  run  away ;  and  I  called 
out,  "  You  dog,"  said  I,  "  is  this  your  making  us 
laugh?  Come  away,  and  take  your  horse,  that  we 
may  shoot  the  creature."  He  hears  me,  and  cries 
out,  "No  shoot,  no  shoot ;  stand  still,  you  get  much 
laugh.'"  And  as  the  nimble  creature  run  two  feet 
for  the  beast's  one,  he  turned  on  a  sudden,  on  one 
side  of  us,  and  seeing  a  great  oak  tree  fit  for  his 
purpose,  he  beckoned  to  us  to  follow  ;  and  doubling 
his  pace,  he  gets  nimbly  up  the  tree,  laying  his  gun 
down  upon  the  ground,  at  about  five  or  six  yards 
from  the  bottom  of  the  tree. 

The  bear  soon  came  to  the  tree,  and  we  followed 
at  a  distance.  The  first  thing  he  did,  he  stopped  at 
the  gun,  smelt  to  it,  but  let  it  lie,  and  up  he  scram- 
bles into  the  tree,    climbing  like  a  cat,  though  so 

[333] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

monstrously  heavy.  I  was  amazed  at  the  folly,  as  I 
thought  it,  of  my  man,  and  could  not  for  my  life  see 
anything  to  laugh  at  yet,  till  seeing  the  bear  get  up 
the  tree,  we  all  rode  nearer  to  him. 

When  we  came  to  the  tree,  there  was  Friday  got 
out  to  the  small  end  of  a  large  limb  of  the  tree,  and 
the  bear  got  about  half  way  to  him.  As  soon  as  the 
bear  got  out  to  that  part  where  the  limb  of  the  tree 
was  weaker,  "  Ha ! "  says  he  to  us,  "  now  you  see 
me  teachee  the  bear  dance."  So  he  falls  a-jumping 
and  shaking  the  bough,  at  which  the  bear  began  to 
totter,  but  stood  still,  and  began  to  look  behind 
him,  to  see  how  he  should  get  back.  Then,  indeed, 
we  did  laugh  heartily.  But  Friday  had  not  done 
with  him  by  a  great  deal.  When  he  sees  him  stand 
still,  he  calls  out  to  him  again,  as  if  he  had  supposed 
the  bear  could  speak  English,  "  What,  you  no  come 
farther  ?  pray  you  come  farther  ;"  so  he  left,  jumping 
and  shaking  the  tree ;  and  the  bear,  just  as  if  he  had 
understood  what  he  said,  did  come  a  little  farther ; 
then  he  fell  a-jumping  again,  and  the  bear  stopped 
again. 

We  thought  now  was  a  good  time  to  knock  him 
on  the  head,  and  I  called  to  Friday  to  stand  still, 
and  we  would  shoot  the  bear ;  but  he  cried  out 
earnestly,  "  O  pray !  O  pray  !  no  shoot,  me  shoot  by 
and  then  ; "  he  would  have  said  by-and-by.  How- 
ever, to  shorten  the  story,  Friday  danced  so  much, 
and  the  bear  stood  so  ticklish,  that  we  had  laughing 
enough  indeed,  but  still  could  not  imagine  what  the 
fellow  would  do  ;  for  first  we  thought  he  depended 
upon  shaking  the  bear  off;  and  we  found  the  bear 
was  too  cunning  for  that  too  ;  for  he  would  not  go 
out  far  enough  to  be  thrown  down,  but  clings  fast 
with  his  great  broad  claws  and  feet,  so  that  we  could 
not  imagine  what  would  be  the  end  of  it,  and  where 
the  jest  would  be  at  last. 

[334] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

But  Friday  put  us  out  of  doubt  quickly ;  for  seeing 
the  bear  cling  fast  to  the  bough,  and  that  he  would 
not  be  persuaded  to  come  any  farther,  "  Well,  well," 
says  Friday,  "  you  no  come  farther,  me  go,  me  go ; 
you  no  come  to  me,  me  go  come  to  you  ; "  and  upon 
this  he  goes  out  to  the  smallest  end  of  the  bough, 
where  it  would  bend  with  his  weight,  and  gently  lets 
himself  down  by  it,  sliding  down  the  bough  till  he 
came  near  enough  to  jump  down  on  his  feet,  and 
away  he  ran  to  his  gun,  takes  it  up,  and  stands 
still. 

"  Well,"  said  I  to  him,  "  Friday,  what  will  you  do 
now  ?  Why  don't  you  shoot  him  ?  "  "  No  shoot," 
says  Friday,  "  no  yet ;  me  shoot  now,  me  no  kill ;  me 
stay,  give  you  one  more  laugh."  And,  indeed,  so  he 
did,  as  you  will  see  presently  ;  for  when  the  bear  sees 
his  enemy  gone,  he  comes  back  from  the  bough  where 
he  stood,  but  did  it  mighty  leisurely,  looking  behind 
him  every  step,  and  coming  backward  till  he  got  into 
the  body  of  the  tree  ;  then  with  the  same  hinder  end 
foremost  he  comes  down  the  tree,  grasping  it  with  his 
claws,  and  moving  one  foot  at  a  time,  very  leisurely. 
At  this  juncture,  and  just  before  he  could  set  his  hind 
feet  upon  the  ground,  Friday  stepped  up  close  to  him, 
clapped  the  muzzle  of  his  piece  into  his  ear,  and  shot 
him  dead  as  a  stone. 

Then  the  rogue  turned  about  to  see  if  we  did  not 
laugh ;  and  when  he  saw  we  were  pleased  by  our 
looks,  he  falls  a-laughing  himself  very  loud.  "  So  we 
kill  bear  in  my  country,"  says  Friday.  "  So  you  kill 
them  ?  "  says  I  ;  "  why,  you  have  no  guns."  "  No," 
says  he,  "  no  gun,  but  shoot  great  much  long  arrow." 

This  was  indeed  a  good  diversion  to  us  ;  but  we 
were  still  in  a  wild  place,  and  our  guide  very  much 
hurt,  and  what  to  do  we  hardly  knew.  The  howling 
of  wolves  ran  much  in  my  head ;  and  indeed,  except 
the  noise  I  once  heard  on  the  shore  of  Africa,  of 

[335] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

which  I  have  said  something  already,  I  never  heard 
anything  that  filled  me  with  so  much  horror. 

These  things,  and  the  approach  of  night,  called  us 
off,  or  else,  as  Friday  would  have  had  us,  we  should 
certainly  have  taken  the  skin  of  this  monstrous  crea- 
ture off,  which  was  worth  saving ;  but  we  had  three 
leagues  to  go,  and  our  guide  hastened  us  ;  so  we  left 
him,  and  went  forward  on  our  journey. 

The  ground  was  still  covered  with  snow,  though 
not  so  deep  and  dangerous  as  on  the  mountains ;  and 
the  ravenous  creatures,  as  we  heard  afterwards,  were 
come  down  into  the  forest  and  plain  country,  pressed 
by  hunger,  to  seek  for  food,  and  had  done  a  great 
deal  of  mischief  in  the  villages,  where  they  surprised 
the  country  people,  killed  a  great  many  of  their  sheep 
and  horses,  and  some  people  too. 

We  had  one  dangerous  place  to  pass,  which  our 
guide  told  us  if  there  were  any  more  wolves  in  the 
country  we  should  find  them  there ;  and  this  was  in 
a  small  plain,  surrounded  with  woods  on  every  side, 
and  a  long  narrow  defile,  or  lane,  which  we  were  to 
pass  to  get  through  the  wood,  and  then  we  should 
come  to  the  village  where  we  were  to  lodge. 

It  was  within  half-an-hour  of  sunset  when  we 
entered  the  first  wood,  and  a  little  after  sunset  when 
we  came  into  the  plain.  We  met  with  nothing  in 
the  first  wood,  except  that,  in  a  little  plain  within  the 
wood,  which  was  not  above  two  furlongs  over,  we  saw 
five  great  wolves  cross  the  road,  full  speed,  one  after 
another,  as  if  they  had  been  in  chase  of  some  prey, 
and  had  it  in  view ;  they  took  no  notice  of  us,  and 
were  gone  and  out  of  our  sight  in  a  few  moments. 
Upon  this  our  guide,  who,  by  the  way,  was  a  wretched 
faint-hearted  fellow,  bid  us  keep  in  a  ready  posture, 
for  he  believed  there  were  more  wolves  a-coming. 

We  kept  our  arms  ready,  and  our  eyes  about  us ; 
but  we  saw  no  more  wolves  till  we  came  through  that 

[336] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

wood,  which  was  near  half  a  league,  and  entered  the 
plain.  As  soon  as  we  came  into  the  plain,  we  had 
occasion  enough  to  look  about  us.  The  first  object 
we  met  with  was  a  dead  horse,  that  is  to  say,  a  poor 
horse  which  the  wolves  had  killed,  and  at  least  a 
dozen  of  them  at  work  ;  we  could  not  say  eating  of 
him,  but  picking  of  his  bones  rather,  for  they  had 
eaten  up  all  the  flesh  before. 

We  did  not  think  fit  to  disturb  them  at  their 
feast,  neither  did  they  take  much  notice  of  us.  Fri- 
day would  have  let  fly  at  them,  but  I  would  not  suf- 
fer him  by  any  means,  for  I  found  we  were  like  to 
have  more  business  upon  our  hands  than  we  were 
aware  of.  We  were  not  gone  half  over  the  plain, 
but  we  began  to  hear  the  wolves  howl  in  the  wood 
on  our  left  in  a  frightful  manner,  and  presently  after 
we  saw  about  a  hundred  coming  on  directly  towards 
us,  all  in  a  body,  and  most  of  them  in  a  line,  as  regu- 
larly as  an  army  drawn  up  by  experienced  officers.  I 
scarce  knew  in  what  manner  to  receive  them,  but 
found  to  draw  ourselves  in  a  close  line  was  the  only 
way  ;  so  we  formed  in  a  moment ;  but  that  we  might 
not  have  too  much  interval,  I  ordered  that  only 
every  other  man  should  fire,  and  that  the  others  who 
had  not  fired  should  stand  ready  to  give  them  a  sec- 
ond volley  immediately,  if  they  continued  to  advance 
upon  us  ;  and  that  then  those  who  had  fired  at  first 
should  not  pretend  to  load  their  fusees  again,  but 
stand  ready  with  every  one  a  pistol,  for  we  were 
all  armed  with  a  fusee  and  a  pair  of  pistols  each 
man  ;  so  we  were,  by  this  method,  able  to  fire  six 
volleys,  half  of  us  at  a  time.  'However,  at  present 
we  had  no  necessity  ;  for  upon  firing  the  first  volley 
the  enemy  made  a  full  stop,  being  terrified  as  well 
with  the  noise  as  with  the  fire.  Four  of  them  being 
shot  into  the  head,  dropped ;  several  others  were 
wounded,  and  went  bleeding  off,  as  we  could  see  by 
vol.  i. -22  [337] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

the  snow.  I  found  they  stopped,  but  did  not  imme- 
diately retreat ;  whereupon,  remembering  that  I  had 
been  told  that  the  fiercest  creatures  were  terrified  at 
the  voice  of  a  man,  I  caused  all  our  company  to  hal- 
loo as  loud  as  we  could  ;  and  I  found  the  notion  not 
altogether  mistaken,  for  upon  our  shout  they  began 
to  retire  and  turn  about.  Then  I  ordered  a  second 
volley  to  be  fired  in  their  rear,  which  put  them  to 
the  gallop,  and  away  they  went  to  the  woods. 

This  gave  us  leisure  to  charge  our  pieces  again  ; 
and  that  we  might  lose  no  time,  we  kept  going. 
But  we  had  but  little  more  than  loaded  our  fusees, 
and  put  ourselves  into  a  readiness,  when  we  heard  a 
terrible  noise  in  the  same  wood,  on  our  left,  only 
that  it  was  farther  onward,  the  same  way  we  were 
to  go. 

The  night  was  coming  on,  and  the  light  began  to 
be  dusky,  which  made  it  worse  on  our  side  ;  but  the 
noise  increasing,  we  could  easily  perceive  that  it  was 
the  howling  and  yelling  of  those  hellish  creatures  ; 
and  on  a  sudden,  we  perceived  two  or  three  troops 
of  wolves,  one  on  our  left,  one  behind  us,  and  one 
on  our  front,  so  that  we  seemed  to  be  surrounded 
with  them.  However,  as  they  did  not  fall  upon  us, 
we  kept  our  way  forward  as  fast  as  we  could  make 
our  horses  go,  which,  the  way  being  very  rough,  was 
only  a  good  large  trot,  and  in  this  manner  we  came 
in  view  of  the  entrance  of  a  wood,  through  which  we 
were  to  pass,  at  the  farther  side  of  the  plain  ;  but 
we  were  greatly  surprised  when,  coming  nearer  the 
lane,  or  pass,  we  saw  a  confused  number  of  wolves 
standing  just  at  the  entrance. 

On  a  sudden,  at  another  opening  of  the  wood,  we 
heard  the  noise  of  a  gun,  and  looking  that  way,  out 
rushed  a  horse,  with  a  saddle  and  a  bridle  on  him,  fly- 
ing like  the  wind,  and  sixteen  or  seventeen  wolves  after 
him,  full  speed  ;  indeed,  the  horse  had  the  heels  of 

[338] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

them ;  but  as  we  supposed  that  he  could  not  hold  it 
at  that  rate,  we  doubted  not  but  they  would  get  up 
with  him  at  last,  and  no  question  but  they  did. 

But  here  we  had  a  most  horrible  sight ;  for  riding 
up  to  the  entrance  where  the  horse  came  out,  we 
found  the  carcass  of  another  horse  and  of  two  men, 
devoured  by  the  ravenous  creatures  ;  and  one  of  the 
men  was  no  doubt  the  same  whom  we  heard  fire  the 
gun,  for  there  lay  a  gun  just  by  him  fired  off;  but 
as  to  the  man,  his  head  and  the  upper  part  of  his 
body  was  eaten  up. 

This  filled  us  with  horror,  and  we  knew  not  what 
course  to  take  ;  but  the  creatures  resolved  us  soon, 
for  they  gathered  about  us  presently  in  hopes  of 
prey,  and  I  verily  believe  there  were  three  hundred 
of  them.  It  happened  \ery  much  to  our  advantage 
that,  at  the  entrance  into  the  wood,  but  a  little  way 
from  it,  there  lay  some  large  timber-trees,  which  had 
been  cut  down  the  summer  before,  and  I  suppose 
lay  there  for  carriage.  I  drew  my  little  troop  in 
among  those  trees,  and  placing  ourselves  in  a  line 
behind  one  long  tree,  I  advised  them  all  to  light, 
and  keeping  that  tree  before  us  for  a  breastwork,  to 
stand  in  a  triangle,  or  three  fronts,  enclosing  our 
horses  in  the  centre. 

We  did  so,  and  it  was  well  we  did ;  for  never  was 
a  more  furious  charge  than  the  creatures  made  upon 
us  in  the  place.  They  came  on  us  with  a  growling 
kind  of  a  noise,  and  mounted  the  piece  of  timber, 
which,  as  I  said,  was  our  breastwork,  as  if  they  were 
only  rushing  upon  their  prey  ;  and  this  fury  of 
theirs,  it  seems,  was  principally  occasioned  by  their 
seeing  our  horses  behind  us,  which  was  the  prey  they 
aimed  at.  I  ordered  our  men  to  fire  as  before,  every 
other  man  ;  and  they  took  their  aim  so  sure,  that 
indeed  they  killed  several  of  the  wolves  at  the  first 
volley ;  but  there  was  a  necessity  to  keep  a  continual 

[339] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

firing,  for  they  came  on  like  devils,  those  behind 
pushing  on  those  before. 

When  we  had  fired  our  second  volley  of  our  fusees, 
we  thought  they  stopped  a  little,  and  I  hoped  they 
would  have  gone  off;  but  it  was  but  a  moment,  for 
others  came  forward  again ;  so  we  fired  two  volleys 
of  our  pistols  ;  and  I  believe  in  these  four  firings  we 
had  killed  seventeen  or  eighteen  of  them,  and  lamed 
twice  as  many,  yet  they  came  on  again. 

I  was  loth  to  spend  our  last  shot  too  hastily ;  so  I 
called  my  servant,  not  my  man  Friday,  for  he  was 
better  employed,  for  with  the  greatest  dexterity 
imaginable  he  had  charged  my  fusee  and  his  own 
while  we  were  engaged ;  but  as  I  said,  I  called  my 
other  man,  and  giving  him  a  horn  of  powder,  I  bade 
him  lay  a  train  all  along  the  piece  of  timber,  and  let 
it  be  a  large  train.  He  did  so,  and  had  but  just 
time  to  get  away  when  the  wolves  came  up  to  it,  and 
some  were  got  up  upon  it,  when  I,  snapping  an  un- 
charged pistol  close  to  the  powder,  set  it  on  fire. 
Those  that  were  upon  the  timber  were  scorched 
with  it,  and  six  or  seven  of  them  fell,  or  rather 
jumped,  in  among  us  with  the  force  and  fright  of 
the  fire.  We  despatched  these  in  an  instant,  and  the 
rest  were  so  frighted  with  the  light,  which  the  night, 
for  it  was  now  very  near  dark,  made  more  terrible, 
that  they  drew  back  a  little  ;  upon  which  I  ordered 
our  last  pistol  to  be  fired  off  in  one  volley,  and  after 
that  we  gave  a  shout.  Upon  this  the  wolves  turned 
tail,  and  we  sallied  immediately  upon  near  twenty 
lame  ones,  whom  we  found  struggling  on  the  ground, 
and  fell  a-cutting  them  with  our  swords,  which  an- 
swered our  expectation  ;  for  the  crying  and  howling 
they  made  was  better  understood  by  their  fellows,  so 
that  they  all  fled  and  left  us. 

We  had,  first  and  last,  killed  about  threescore  of 
them,  and  had  it  been  daylight  we  had  killed  many 

[  340  ] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

more.  The  field  of  battle  being  thus  cleared,  we 
made  forward  again,  for  we  had. still  near  a  league 
to  go.  We  heard  the  ravenous  creatures  howl  and 
yell  in  the  woods  as  we  went  several  times,  and 
sometimes  we  fancied  we  saw  some  of  them,  but  the 
snow  dazzling  our  eyes,  we  were  not  certain.  So  in 
about  an  hour  more  we  came  to  the  town  where  we 
were  to  lodge,  which  we  found  in  a  terrible  fright, 
and  all  in  arms ;  for  it  seems  that  the  night  before 
the  wolves  and  some  bears  had  broke  into  the  village 
in  the  night,  and  put  them  in  a  terrible  fright ;  and 
they  were  obliged  to  keep  guard  night  and  day,  but 
especially  in  the  night,  to  preserve  their  cattle,  and, 
indeed,  their  people. 

The  next  morning  our  guide  was  so  ill,  and  his 
limbs  swelled  with  the  rankling  of  his  two  wounds, 
that  he  could  go  no  farther ;  so  we  were  obliged  to 
take  a  new  guide  there,  and  go  to  Toulouse,  where 
we  found  a  warm  climate,  a  fruitful,  pleasant  country, 
and  no  snow,  no  wolves,  or  anything  like  them. 
But  when  we  told  our  story  at  Toulouse,  they  told 
us  it  was  nothing  but  what  was  ordinary  in  the  great 
forest  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  especially  when 
the  snow  lay  on  the  ground  ;  but  they  inquired  much 
what  kind  of  a  guide  we  had  gotten  that  would  ven- 
ture to  bring  us  that  way  in  such  a  severe  season, 
and  told  us  it  was  very  much  we  were  not  all  de- 
voured. When  we  told  them  how  we  placed  our- 
selves, and  the  horses  in  the  middle,  they  blamed  us 
exceedingly,  and  told  us  it  was  fifty  to  one  but  we 
had  been  all  destroyed  ;  for  it  was  the  sight  of  the 
horses  which  made  the  wolves  so  furious,  seeing  their 
prey ;  and  that,  at  other  times,  they  are  really  afraid 
of  a  gun  ;  but  the  being  excessive  hungry,  and  rag- 
ing on  that  account,  the  eagerness  to  come  at  the 
horses  had  made  them  senseless  of  danger  ;  and  that 
if  we  had  not,  by  the  continued  fire,  and  at  last  by 

[341] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

the  stratagem  of  the  train  of  powder,  mastered  them, 
it  had  been  great  odds  but  that  we  had  been  torn  to 
pieces  ;  whereas  had  we  been  content  to  have  sat  still 
on  horseback,  and  fired  as  horsemen,  they  would  not 
have  taken  the  horses  for  so  much  their  own,  when 
men  were  on  their  backs,  as  otherwise  ;  and  withal 
they  told  us,  that  at  last,  if  we  had  stood  all  to- 
gether, and  left  our  horses,  they  would  have  been  so 
eager  to  have  devoured  them,  that  we  might  have 
come  off  safe,  especially  having  our  firearms  in  our 
hands,  and  being  so  many  in  number. 

For  my  part,  I  was  never  so  sensible  of  danger  in 
my  life  ;  for  seeing  above  three  hundred  devils  come 
roaring  and  open-mouthed  to  devour  us,  and  having 
nothing  to  shelter  us  or  retreat  to,  I  gave  myself 
over  for  lost;  and  as  it  was,  I  believe  I  shall  never 
care  to  cross  those  mountains  again.  I  think  I 
would  much  rather  go  a  thousand  leagues  by  sea, 
though  I  were  sure  to  meet  with  a  storm  once  a 
week. 

I  have  nothing  uncommon  to  take  notice  of  in  my 
passage  through  France ;  nothing  but  what  other 
travellers  have  given  an  account  of  with  much  more 
advantage  than  I  can.  I  travelled  from  Toulouse 
to  Paris,  and  without  any  considerable  stay  came  to 
Calais,  and  landed  safe  at  Dover,  the  14th  of 
January,  after  having  had  a  severe  cold  season  to 
travel  in. 

I  was  now  come  to  the  centre  of  my  travels,  and 
had  in  a  little  time  all  my  new-discovered  estate 
safe  about  me,  the  bills  of  exchange  which  I  brought 
with  me  having  been  very  currently  paid. 

My  principal  guide  and  privy  councillor  was  my 
good  ancient  widow  ;  who,  in  gratitude  for  the  money 
I  had  sent  her,  thought  no  pains  too  much,  or  care 
too  great,  to  employ  for  me  ;  and  I  trusted  her  so 
entirely  with  everything,  that  I  was  perfectly  easy 

[342] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

as  to  the  security  of  my  effects ;  and  indeed  I  was 
very  happy  from  my  beginning,  and  now  to  the  end, 
in  the  unspotted  integrity  of  this  good  gentlewoman. 

And  now  I  began  to  think  of  leaving  my  effects 
with  this  woman  and  setting  out  for  Lisbon,  and  so 
to  the  Brazils.  But  now  another  scruple  came  in  my 
way,  and  that  was  religion  ;  for  as  I  had  entertained 
some  doubts  about  the  Roman  religion  even  while  I 
was  abroad,  especially  in  my  state  of  solitude,  so  I  knew 
there  was  no  going  to  the  Brazils  for  me,  much  less 
going  to  settle  there,  unless  I  resolved  to  embrace 
the  Roman  Catholic  religion  without  any  reserve  ; 
unless  on  the  other  hand  I  resolved  to  be  a  sacrifice 
to  my  principles,  be  a  martyr  for  religion,  and  die 
in  the  Inquisition.  So  I  resolved  to  stay  at  home, 
and  if  I  could  find  means  for  it,  to  dispose  of  my 
plantation. 

To  this  purpose  I  wrote  to  my  old  friend  at  Lisbon, 
who  in  return  gave  me  notice  that  he  could  easily 
dispose  of  it  there  ;  but  that  if  I  thought  fit  to  give 
him  leave  to  offer  it  in  my  name  to  the  two  merchants, 
the  survivors  of  my  trustees,  who  lived  in  the  Brazils, 
who  must  fully  understand  the  value  of  it,  who  lived 
just  upon  the  spot,  and  whom  I  knew  were  very  rich, 
so  that  he  believed  they  would  be  fond  of  buying  it, 
he  did  not  doubt  but  I  should  make  4000  or  5000 
pieces  of  eight  the  more  of  it. 

Accordingly  I  agreed,  gave  him  order  to  offer  it 
to  them,  and  he  did  so  ;  and  in  about  eight  months 
more,  the  ship  being  then  returned,  he  sent  me  an 
account  that  they  had  accepted  the  offer,  and  had 
remitted  33,000  pieces  of  eight  to  a  correspondent 
of  theirs  at  Lisbon  to  pay  for  it. 

In  return,  I  signed  the  instrument  of  sale  in  the 
form  which  they  sent  from  Lisbon,  and  sent  it  to  my 
old  man,  who  sent  me  bills  of  exchange  for  32,800 
pieces  of  eight  to  me,  for  the  estate ;  reserving  the 

[343] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

payment  of  100  moidores  a  year  to  him,  the  old  man, 
during  his  life,  and  50  moidores  afterwards  to  his 
son  for  his  life,  which  I  had  promised  them,  which 
the  plantation  was  to  make  good  as  a  rent-charge. 
And  thus  I  have  given  the  first  part  of  a  life  of 
fortune  and  adventure,  a  life  of  Providence's  chequer- 
work,  and  of  a  variety  which  the  world  will  seldom 
be  able  to  show  the  like  of;  beginning  foolishly,  but 
closing  much  more  happily  than  any  part  of  it  ever 
gave  me  leave  so  much  as  to  hope  for. 

Any  one  would  think  that  in  this  state  of  compli- 
cated good  fortune  I  was  past  running  any  more 
hazards  ;  and  so  indeed  I  had  been,  if  other  circum- 
stances had  concurred.  But  I  wras  inured  to  a  wan- 
dering life,  had  no  family,  not  many  relations,  nor, 
however  rich,  had  I  contracted  much  acquaintance ; 
and  though  I  had  sold  my  estate  in  the  Brazils,  yet  I 
could  not  keep  the  country  out  of  my  head,  and  had 
a  great  mind  to  be  upon  the  wing  again  ;  especially 
I  could  not  resist  the  strong  inclination  I  had  to  see 
my  island,  and  to  know  if  the  poor  Spaniards  were 
in  being  there,  and  how  the  rogues  I  left  there  had 
used  them. 

My  true  friend,  the  widowT,  earnestly  dissuaded  me 
from  it,  and  so  far  prevailed  with  me,  that  for  almost 
seven  years  she  prevented  my  running  abroad,  during 
which  time  I  took  my  two  nephews,  the  children  of 
one  of  my  brothers,  into  my  care.  The  eldest  having 
something  of  his  own,  I  bred  up  as  a  gentleman,  and 
gave  him  a  settlement  of  some  addition  to  his  estate 
after  my  decease.  The  other  I  put  out  to  a  captain 
of  a  ship,  and  after  five  years,  finding  him  a  sensible, 
bold,  enterprising  young  fellow,  I  put  him  into  a 
good  ship,  and  sent  him  to  sea  ;  and  this  young 
fellow  afterwards  drew  me  in,  as  old  as  I  was,  to 
farther  adventures  myself. 

In  the  meantime,  I  in  part  settled  myself  here  ; 

[344] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

for,  first  of  all,  I  married,  and  that  not  either  to  my 
disadvantage  or  dissatisfaction,  and  had  three  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  one  daughter ;  but  my  wife  dy- 
ing, and  my  nephew  coming  home  with  good  success 
from  a  voyage  to  Spain,  my  inclination  to  go  abroad, 
and  his  importunity,  prevailed,  and  engaged  me  to 
go  in  his  ship  as  a  private  trader  to  the  East  Indies. 
This  was  in  the  year  1694. 

In  this  voyage  I  visited  my  new  colony  in  the 
island,  saw  my  successors  the  Spaniards,  had  the 
whole  story  of  their  lives,  and  of  the  villains  I  left 
there  ;  how  at  first  they  insulted  the  poor  Spaniards, 
how  they  afterwards  agreed,  disagreed,  united,  sepa- 
rated, and  how  at  last  the  Spaniards  were  obliged 
to  use  violence  with  them  ;  how  they  were  subjected 
to  the  Spaniards  ;  how  honestly  the  Spaniards  used 
them  ;  a  history,  if  it  were  entered  into,  as  full  of 
variety  and  wonderful  accidents  as  my  own  part; 
particularly  also  as  to  their  battles  with  the  Carib- 
beans,  who  landed  several  times  upon  the  island, 
and  as  to  the  improvement  they  made  upon  the 
island  itself;  and  how  five  of  them  made  an  attempt 
upon  the  mainland,  and  brought  away  eleven  men 
and  five  women  prisoners,  by  which,  at  my  coming,  I 
found  about  twenty  young  children  on  the  island. 

Here  I  stayed  about  twenty  days,  left  them  sup- 
plies of  all  necessary  things,  and  particularly  of 
arms,  powder,  shot,  clothes,  tools,  and  two  workmen, 
which  I  brought  from  England  with  me,  viz.,  a 
carpenter  and  a  smith. 

Besides  this,  I  shared  the  island  into  parts  with 
them,  reserved  to  myself  the  property  of  the  whole, 
but  gave  them  such  parts  respectively  as  they  agreed 
on  ;  and  having  settled  all  things  with  them,  and 
engaged  them  not  to  leave  the  place,  I  left  them 
there. 

From  thence  I  touched  at  the  Brazils,  from  whence 

[345] 


ROBINSON    CRUSOE 

I  sent  a  bark,  which  I  bought  there,  with  more 
people,  to  the  island ;  and  in  it,  besides  other  sup- 
plies, I  sent  seven  women,  being  such  as  I  found 
proper  for  service,  or  for  wives  to  such  as  would  take 
them.  As  to  the  Englishmen,  I  promised  them  to 
send  them  some  women  from  England,  with  a  good 
cargo  of  necessaries,  if  they  would  apply  themselves 
to  planting ;  which  I  afterwards  performed ;  and 
the  fellows  proved  very  honest  and  diligent  after 
they  were  mastered,  and  had  their  properties  set 
apart  for  them.  I  sent  them  also  from  the  Brazils 
five  cows,  three  of  them  being  big  with  calf,  some 
sheep,  and  some  hogs,  which,  when  I  came  again, 
were  considerably  increased. 

But  all  these  things,  with  an  account  how  three 
hundred  Caribbees  came  and  invaded  them,  and 
ruined  their  plantations,  and  how  they  fought  with 
that  whole  number  twice,  and  were  at  first  defeated 
and  three  of  them  killed ;  but  at  last  a  storm  de- 
stroying their  enemies'  canoes,  they  famished  or 
destroyed  almost  all  the  rest,  and  renewed  and  re- 
covered the  possession  of  their  plantation,  and  still 
lived  upon  the  island  ;  —  all  these  things,  with  some 
very  surprising  incidents  in  some  new  adventures  of 
my  own,  for  ten  years  more,  I  may  perhaps  give  a 
farther  account  of  hereafter. 


END    OF    VOL.    I. 


[346] 


/v. 


<  ■ 


'^^■'4 


